iistory  of  The  Meimonite 

'':  c.rhreri  in  Christ  Church 


'.  A.  HUFFMAN,  Editor-in-Chief 


/.  2.2.. Uf- 

LIBRARY  OF  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 

PRINCETON,  N.  J. 


Purchased  by  the 
Mrs.    Robert  Lenox  Kennedy  Church  History  Fund. 


Division  Z..JsS^\  2°j 


History  of  The  Mennonite 
Brethren   in   Christ   Church 


JASPER  ABRAHAM  HUFFMAN, 
A.B.,  B.D.,  D.D., 

Professor  of  New  Testament  Literature  and  Exegesis,  Bluffton 
College  and  Mennonite  Seminary,  Bluffton,  Ohio, 

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF. 


Published  by  order  of  The  Executive  Board  of  the 
Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ  Church. 


THE  BETHEL  PUBLISHING  COMPANY, 

NEW  CARLISLE,  OHIO,  U.  S.  A. 


Copyrighted,  1920,  by 

The  Bethel  Publishing  Company 

New  Carlisle,  Ohio. 


To  the  Founders 

OF 

The  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ  Church 

and  to  all 

who  have  or  shall  assist 

in  promoting  the  work 

of  the  lord  as  entrusted 

to  it,  this  volume 

is  humbly  and 

lovingly 

dedicated. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2009  with  funding  from 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


http://www.archive.org/details/historyofmennoniOOhuff 


Table  of  Contents. 

Chapter  Page 

I.  Historical  Background 11 

II.  Formation  op  the  United  Mennonites  . .  .34-55 

New  Mennonites   35 

Reformed  Mennonites 41 

United  Mennonites   52 

III.  Elder  Solomon  Eby  (Biographical  Sketch)  .56 

IV.  Formation    of    the    Evangelical    United 

Mennonites   59-73 

United  Mennonites  60 

Evangelical  Mennonites 62 

Evangelical  United  Mennonites 70 

V.  Elder   Daniel   Brenneman    (Biographical 
Sketch)    74 

VI.  Formation  of  the  Mennonite  Brethren 

in  Christ  77-99 

Evangelical  United  Mennonites 77 

Brethren  in  Christ 81 

Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ 88 

VII.  Elder     William     Gehman     (Biographical 

Sketch)    100 

VIII.  The  Michigan  Conference  103 

IX.  The  Nerraska  Conference  110 

X.  The  Pacific  Conference 119 

5 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

Chapter  Page 

XI.  The  Canadian  North  West  Conference.  .125 
XII.  Practical  and  Doctrinal  Developments  145 

XIII.  Publishing  Interests   166 

XIV.  Foreign  Missions   181 

XV.  City  Missions  202 

XVI.  Education  214 

XVII.  Biographical  Sketches 222 

XVIII.  Statistical  Summary 277 

XIX.  Appendices    279 


PREFACE. 

In  the  Gospel  Banner,  issue  of  May  27,  1915,  there  ap- 
peared an  editorial  from  the  pen  of  the  writer,  urging 
that  steps  be  taken  toward  the  writing  of  a  history  of 
The  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ  Church — particularly 
so,  since  the  founders  of  the  earliest  conferences  who 
were  capable  of  giving  first  hand  information,  were 
growing  old.  This  was  probably  the  first  agitation  for 
a  Church  History.  It  was  a  timely  suggestion,  for  since 
then  several  of  the  outstanding  men,  around  whom  much 
of  the  history  centers,  have  gone  to  their  reward. 

Several  persons  were  impressed  with  the  appeal,  and 
proceeded,  in  a  small  way,  to  gather  material,  placing 
the  same  into  the  hands  of  the  writer. 

In  the  fall  of  1917,  a  young  man,  a  member  of  The 
Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ  Church  and  already  a 
graduate  of  Bluffton  College,  reentered  the  institution 
with  the  intention  of  securing  a  master's  degree,  doing 
his  graduate  work  in  the  Seminary  Department.  As 
a  thesis  based  upon  research  was  required,  the  writer 
suggested  to  him  that  he  trace  out  the  origin  and  early 
developments  of  The  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ 
Church,  and  incorporate  the  same  into  a  master's  thesis. 
This  young  man  was  S.  Floyd  Pannabecker,  who  became 

7 


PREFACE. 

an  instructor  in  physics  in  Bluffton  College  the  follow- 
ing year. 

He  set  himself  to  the  task,  and  did  his  work  well. 
Written  sources  of  information  were  meager,  but  such 
materials  as  the  writer  had  gathered  were  placed  into 
his  hands.  He  went  to  Ontario,  Michigan,  Indiana  and 
Pennsylvania,  in  quest  of  first-hand  facts,  counseling 
the  church  fathers,  and  such  who  were  likely  to  possess 
any  valuable  information.  Consequently  Chapters  II, 
IV,  and  VI  are  his,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  additions 
and  a  few  subtractions,  which  were  necessary  to  complete 
and  unify  the  material  of  the  entire  volume.  Chapter  I 
is  also  his,  in  part,  as  are  also  brief  sections  in  one  or  two 
other  chapters.  The  Chart  and  Map  at  the  back  of  the 
book  are  also  his.  "Without  his  assistance,  this  history 
would  not  be  possible  at  this  time,  and  due  acknowledg- 
ment is  here  intended  for  his  splendid  contribution. 

Besides  the  occasional  footnotes  which  give  proper 
credit  to  various  sources,  the  Editor-in-Chief  acknowl- 
edges his  indebtedness  to  the  following  persons:  Dr.  C. 
Henry  Smith  and  Prof.  Paul  E.  Whitmer,  who  furnished 
each  some  material  for  Chapter  I;  T.  H.  Brenneman, 
who  supplied  data  for  Chapter  V;  C.  H.  Brunner,  who 
is  accredited  with  most  of  the  sketch  in  Chapter  VII; 
C.  K.  Curtis,  N.  W.  Rich,  Jacob  Hygema  and  H.  J. 
Pontius,  whose  contributions  aided  in  arranging  Chap- 
ter IX;  A.  "W.  Barbezat,  who  supplied  Chapter  X;  D. 
C.  Eby,  who  wrote  Chapter  XI;  H.  S.  Hallman,  who 

8 


PREFACE. 

was  consulted  in  reference  to  Chapter  XIII;  Samuel 
Goudie  and  C.  N.  Good,  who  furnished  some  information 
for  Chapter  XIV ;  and  others. 

In  a  certain  sense,  this  volume  may  be  considered  of 
joint  authorship.  While  the  Editor-in-Chief  has  written 
much  of  the  material  and  unified  the  whole,  he  disclaims 
authorship  in  the  fullest  sense  of  the  term. 

Trusting  that  this  little  volume  will  magnify  Christ, 
the  head  of  the  church;  that  it  will  render  due  honor 
to  the  founders  of  this  particular  branch;  that  it  will 
be  found  a  faithful  and  accurate  record  of  the  events 
with  which  it  is  concerned,  and  that  it  will  prove  a 
blessing  and  inspiration  to  the  present  and  future  gen- 
erations, it  is  sent  forward  upon  its  mission. 

Bluffton,  Ohio.  J.  A.  Huffman. 

June  16,  1920. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  MENNONITE 
BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH 


CHAPTER  I. 

Historical  Background. 

Mennonite  historians  are  not  all  agreed  concerning 
Mennonite  origins.  Older  historians  are  inclined  to  trace 
the  church  as  a  more  or  less  organic  body  back  to  the 
Waldenses  of  the  pre-reformation  period,  and  even 
through  a  succession  of  medieval  and  ancient  evangel- 
ical sects  to  the  Apostles  themselves.  More  recent  writ- 
ers, however,  are  not  inclined  to  this  view,  but  begin 
Mennonite  history  with  the  movement  known  in  Central 
Europe  as  Anabaptism.  While  the  historic  records  avail- 
able at  present  do  not  warrant  the  claim  of  organized 
existence  back  to  apostolic  times,  it  is  just  to  say,  that 
Mennonite  antecedents,  together  with  those  of  all  the 
Anabaptists,  reach  back  into  the  evangelical  sects  of  the 
centuries  previous  to  the  reformation  period,  known  as 
Taborites  (early  fifteenth  century),  Waldenses  (four- 
teenth century),  Brethren  of  the  common  life  (fourteenth 
century),  and  other  evangelical  groups  dissenting  from 
Romanism  and  its  practices. 

By  1500  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  had  been  domi- 
nant in  the  theological  field  for  twelve  centuries,  and  so 
many  abuses  had  crept  in  that  good  people  throughout  the 

11 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

country  were  desiring  reform.  It  was  but  natural,  then, 
that  in  the  early  part  of  the  sixteenth  century  the  puri- 
fying movement  came  to  a  head  and  Luther  and  Zwingli, 
followed  by  others,  introduced  radical  reforms  in  doctrine 
and  worship.  There  were  those,  however,  who  believed 
that  reforms  should  be  carried  still  farther  than  these 
leaders  were  doing.  By  1520  "praying  circles"  existed  in 
various  parts  of  Switzerland,  Germany  and  the  Nether- 
lands— simple  people  who  took  the  Bible  literally  and 
attempted  to  follow  New  Testament  ideas  as  closely  as 
possible  in  their  church  life.  In  Zurich  we  find  them  in 
connection  with  Zwingli 's  reforms,  objecting  especially 
to  an  established  state  church,  such  as  Zwingli  was  rear- 
ing, and  to  infant  baptism.  About  1525  adult  baptism 
was  introduced  by  the  Anabaptists,  and  the  breach  with 
Zwingli  was  complete.  Because  of  their  practice  of  re- 
baptizing,  these  people  became  known  as  Wiedertaufer 
or  Anabaptists.  The  Anabaptist  movement,  then,  out  of 
which  Mennonitism  arose,  was  the  crystallizing  of  oppo- 
sition both  to  the  Roman  Church,  as  such,  and  a  so-called 
reformation  which,  though  opposing  the  Catholic  Church, 
attempted  to  carry  over  into  its  doctrines  and  practices 
much  that  was  purely  Catholic.  The  Zwinglians  in- 
augurated intense  persecutions  in  an  attempt  to  exter- 
minate their  opposers,  with  the  result  that  the  Ana- 
baptist doctrine  was  spread  far  and  wide  by  the  exiles. 
The  earliest  known  confession  of  faith  of  the  Anabap- 
tists was  drawn  up  at  Schleitheim  (South  Germany) 
about  this  time  (1527).  The  following  summary  of  the 
Schleitheim  Confession  shows  their  doctrinal  similarity 
with  the  present  day  Mennonites. 

1.  "Baptism.      Baptism  shall  be  administered  to  all 
who  are  taught  repentance  and  a  change  of  life,  and 

12 


HISTORICAL  BACKGROUND. 

truly  believe  in  the  forgiveness  of  their  sins  through 
Jesus  Christ,  and  are  willing  to  walk  in  newness  of  life ; 
all  those  shall  be  baptized  when  they  desire  it  and  ask 
it  by  the  decision  of  their  own  minds,  which  excludes 
all  infant  baptism  according  to  the  Scriptures  and  the 
practice  of  the  Apostles." 

2.  "The  Ban  of  Excommunication.  This  shall  be  prac- 
ticed with  all  those  who  have  given  themselves  to  the 
Lord,  to  follow  His  commandments,  are  baptized,  and 
call  themselves  brethren  and  sisters  and  yet  stumble  and 
fall  into  sin,  or  are  unexpectedly  overtaken;  these  after 
admonition  according  to  Matthew  18,  if  they  do  not  re- 
pent, shall  be  excommunicated." 

3.  "Breaking  of  Bread.  All  who  wish  to  break  'one 
bread'  in  remembrance  of  the  broken  body  of  Christ, 
and  drink  'one  cup'  in  remembrance  of  His  shed  blood, 
shall  be  united  by  baptism  into  one  body  which  is  the 
congregation  of  God  and  of  which  Christ  is  the  head." 

4.  "Separation  from  the  world.  The  Christian  must 
be  separated  from  all  the  evil  and  wickedness  that  Satan 
has  planted  into  this  world.  According  to  2  Cor.  6 :  17, 
18:  'We  shall  come  out  from  among  them  and  be  sepa- 
rate,' separate  from  all  Papistic  works  and  services, 
meetings  and  church  goings,  drinking  houses  and  other 
things  which  the  world  highly  esteems." 

5.  "Ministers.  The  minister  shall,  according  to  the 
teaching  of  Paul,  be  of  good  report  of  them  that  are 
without.  He  shall  teach,  exhort,  and  help  all  the  mem- 
bers to  advance  in  their  spiritual  life.  When  he  has 
need  he  shall  be  aided  by  the  congregations  which  chose 
him  to  do  his  work.  If  he  should  be  driven  away,  or 
imprisoned,  or  killed,  another  minister  shall  at  once  be 
put  into  his  place. ' ' 

13 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

6.  "Taking  the  Sword.  The  worldly  governments 
of  the  land  are  to  use  the  sword,  but  in  the  perfect  con- 
gregation of  Christ  excommunication  is  used,  by  which 
no  one  suffers  violence  to  his  body.  .  .  .  Neither  is  it 
the  Christian's  work  to  have  part  in  civil  government 
because  the  rulings  of  government  are  according  to  the 
flesh,  but  the  government  of  Christ  is  according  to  the 
Spirit.  The  weapons  of  the  world  are  carnal,  but  the 
weapons  of  the  Christian  are  spiritual,  to  the  overcom- 
ing of  the  world  and  of  Satan. ' ' 

7.  "Oaths.  Christ,  who  taught  the  law  in  perfection, 
forbade  His  disciples  all  oaths,  whether  true  or  false. 
By  this  we  understand  that  all  swearing  is  forbidden. ' ' 

This  sets  before  us  pretty  clearly  the  line  of  thinking 
of  the  Anabaptists,  and  persons  who  adhered  to  such 
beliefs  could  not  help  but  get  into  trouble  with  the  es- 
tablished church.  Of  course,  there  were  innumerable 
variations  to  this,  as  would  be  expected  in  a  group  of 
poorly  educated  peasants,  who  were  spontaneously 
quickened  to  new  religious  life.  The  large  majority, 
however,  were  simple,  frugal  people  of  rather  steady 
character. 

At  this  time  (about  1530),  the  Anabaptists  existed 
throughout  various  places  in  Europe,  particularly  in 
Switzerland,  different  parts  of  Germany,  Poland  (later 
part  of  Russia,  now  Poland  again),  the  Palatinate,  and 
the  Netherlands.  They  were  naturally  disorganized  with 
countless  varieties  of  teachings,  holding  to  no  one  set 
of  views  generally.  The  movement  was  intensely  indi- 
vidualistic. Bullinger  classifies  them  roughly  into  forty 
distinct  sects,  with  various  overlappings  that  make  ac- 
curate distinctions  impossible.  Sebastian  Franck,  after 
describing  several  varieties,  .  .  .  says :  ' '  There  are  more 

14 


HISTORICAL  BACKGROUND. 

sects  and  opinions  which  I  do  not  know  and  can- 
not describe,  but  it  appears  to  me  that  there  are  not 
two  to  be  found  who  agree  with  each  other  in  all  points. ' ' 
The  Anabaptist  movement  arose  and  spread  so  rapidly 
and  in  turn  was  so  soon  driven  under  ground  by  com- 
bined church  and  state  persecutions,  as  to  give  rise  to 
numerous  unhistorical  explanations  to  account  for  it. 
How  shall  we  account  for  its  sudden  rise  and  equally 
sudden  decline?  The  ability  and  devotion  of  the  Ana- 
baptist leaders  at  a  time  of  unrest  and  disappointment 
speedily  brought  together  a  great  movement.  Conrad 
Grebel  was,  for  a  time,  a  supporter  of  Zwingli.  He  was 
the  son  of  one  of  Zurich's  leading  citizens,  educated  at 
the  universities  of  Vienna  and  Paris  and  a  member  of 
the  Zurich  Council,  before  he  became  an  Anabaptist 
leader.  Felix  Manz  was  the  son  of  a  canon  of  the  Zu- 
rich cathedral,  an  accomplished  Hebrew  and  Greek 
scholar,  and  an  Anabaptist  evangelistic  preacher  of  great 
power.  George  Blaurock  wTas  a  monk  before  becoming 
an  Anabaptist.  He  was  called  "the  second  Paul"  be- 
cause of  his  oratorical  gifts,  fiery  zeal,  and  great  execu- 
tive ability.  William  Reublin  was  educated  at  the  uni- 
versities of  Freiburg  and  Tubingen,  became  a  Catholic 
priest  and  later  an  Anabaptist  leader  of  great  influence 
as  an  itinerant  biblical  preacher.  These  men  were  later 
joined  by  other  leaders  of  equal  training  and  power. 
The  extraordinary  growth  of  this  movement  alarmed 
Catholics  and  non-Anabaptist  Protestants  alike,  causing 
them  to  join  in  crushing  it  by  the  most  cruel  persecu- 
tions known  in  Reformation  Europe.  Manz  was  drowned 
in  1527;  Grebel  died  worn  out  by  imprisonment  and 
cruel  suffering  in  1526;  Blaurock  was  burned  at  the 
stake  in  1529 ;  and  Reublin  has  dropped  out  of  history. 

15 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

By  about  1530  Anabaptism  was  driven  underground, 
bereft  of  all  its  trained  and  able  leaders.  The  Anabap- 
tists were  now  as  sheep  without  a  shepherd. 

Now,  into  such  a  scattered,  heterogeneous,  apparently 
crushed  and  almost  leaderless  people  there  came  one 
who  was  destined  to  leave  his  impress  indelibly  on  the 
movement:   he  was  Menno  Simons. 

Menno  Simons  was  born  in  1496  at  Witmarsum,  a 
small  village  near  the  west  coast  of  Friesland,  one  of 
the  provinces  of  north  Holland.  Little  is  known  of  his 
parentage  and  early  life,  except  that  he  was  educated 
for  the  priesthood  and  assumed  the  duties  of  that  office 
at  the  age  of  twenty-eight.  Like  most  of  the  priests  of 
that  day,  he  knew  little  of  the  Bible,  and  his  religious 
duties  sat  rather  lightly  upon  him.  While  living  this 
careless  and  self-indulgent  life  he  was  aroused  by  the 
murder  of  an  Anabaptist  in  a  neighboring  town.  Be- 
ing of  an  open,  honest  mind,  he  became  convinced  of  the 
truth  as  taught  by  the  Anabaptists  whom  he  met,  and 
could  no  longer  practice  nor  tolerate  infant  baptism  nor 
the  mass.  The  whole  system  of  Catholicism  took  on  a  new 
and  unfavorable  aspect,  and  in  1536  he  renounced  the 
Catholic  church  and  cast  his  lot  with  the  Anabaptists, 
being  baptized  by  Obbe  Phillips,  their  leading  elder. 

The  Anabaptists  were  greatly  in  need  of  men  who  were 
competent  to  give  leadership,  and  when  such  an  one  as 
Menno  Simons — a  man  of  great  and  well  trained  in- 
tellect and  with  courage  of  his  religious  convictions — 
came  into  their  ranks,  he  was  at  once  made  a  leader  and 
a  hero.  He  traveled  extensively  throughout  Holland 
and  North  Germany,  preaching  the  Gospel,  founding 
new  churches  and  serving  the  religious  needs  of  the  peo- 

16 


MENNO  SIMONS. 
(1496-1561.) 


HISTORICAL  BACKGROUND. 

pie.  That  he  became  the  most  distinguished  leader  of 
the  Anabaptist  movement  in  his  country  is  attested  by 
the  fact  that  the  Anabaptists,  wherever  he  went,  be- 
came known  as  Mennonists,  Mennists,  or  Mennonites,  and 
later,  in  places  where  he  had  never  been,  the  name  Men- 
nonite  was  applied  to  those  who  were  known  to  be  of 
like  faith. 

Menno  was  a  voluminous  writer,  and  issued  many 
tracts  in  defense  of  his  views.  From  these  we  learn  that 
he  agreed  with  the  main  body  of  the  peaceful  Anabap- 
tists in  all  their  essential  doctrines. 

The  true  church,  he  insisted,  must  be  composed  of 
those  of  a  regenerated  heart.  In  his  treatise,  ' '  The  New 
Birth,"  he  says: 

"Behold,  worthy  reader,  all  those  who  are  born  of 
God  with  Christ  who  thus  conform  their  weak  life  to 
the  Gospel,  are  thus  converted,  and  follow  the  example 
of  Christ,  hear  and  believe  His  holy  Word,  follow  His 
commands  which  He  in  plain  words  commanded  us  in 
the  Holy  Scriptures,  form  the  Holy  Christian  Church 
which  has  the  promise." 

Infant  baptism,  he  says, 

' '  Is  a  self -begotten  rite  and  human  righteousness ;  for 
in  all  the  New  Testament  there  is  not  a  command  or 
word  about  baptizing  infants  by  Christ  nor  the  Apos- 
tles." 

In  speaking  of  the  true  Christians,  "the  regenerated 
who  have  a  spiritual  king  over  them,"  he  continues: 

"They  are  the  children  of  peace,  who  have  beaten 
their  swords  into  plowshares  and  their  spears  into 
pruning  hooks,  and  know  no  war. ' ' 

The  Lord's  Supper: 

2  17 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

"They  celebrate  in  remembrance  of  the  favors  and 
death  of  their  Lord,  and  in  reminding  one  another  of 
true  and  brotherly  love. ' ' 

On  civil  government  he  writes : 

' '  We  now  publicly  confess  that  the  office  of  the  Magis- 
trate is  ordained  of  God  as  we  have  ever  confessed,  since 
we  serve  according  to  our  small  talent  the  word  of  the 
Lord,  and  in  the  meantime  we  have  ever  obeyed  them 
when  not  contrary  to  the  word  of  the  Lord,  and  we  in- 
tend to  do  so  all  our  lives,  for  we  are  not  so  stupid  as 
not  to  know  what  the  Lord's  word  commands  in  this 
respect.  We  render  unto  Csesar  the  things  which  are 
Caesar's  as  Christ  teaches  (Matthew  22:21).  We  pray 
for  the  Imperial  majesty,  kings,  lords,  princes,  and  all 
in  authority,  honor  and  obey  them." 

Menno's  views  on  such  other  fundamental  Anabaptist 
doctrines  as  rebaptism,  non-resistance,  religious  toler- 
ation, separation  of  church  and  state,  opposition  to  war 
and  capital  punishment,  objection  to  the  oath  and  hold- 
ing of  office,  the  ban  as  a  method  of  church  discipline — 
in  all  of  these  he  agreed  with  the  large  body  of  peaceful 
Anabaptists. 

Menno's  life  after  leaving  the  Roman  Church  was 
never  a  pleasant  one. 

As  soon  as  his  opposition  to  the  accepted  creeds  be- 
came known,  persecutions  came  from  all  sides.  That 
his  opponents  might  better  accomplish  their  purposes, 
a  decree  was  issued  that  whoever  would  shelter  Menno 
Simons  or  any  of  his  followers,  should  suffer  death; 
furthermore,  this  decree  was  carried  out  in  several  in- 
stances. In  addition  to  this,  in  1543  another  decree  was 
issued  by  the  Emperor,  Charles  V,  offering  general  par- 
don, freedom  of  the  country,  favor  of  the  Emperor  and 

18 


HISTORICAL  BACKGROUND. 

one  hundred  guilders  (about  $40)  to  any  criminal,  even 
a  murderer,  who  should  deliver  over  Menno  Simons 
to  the  executioner;  and,  that  this  might  be  as  easy  as 
possible,  an  accurate  description  of  him  was  posted  upon 
the  church  doors.  With  this  in  mind,  Menno 's  words 
have  meaning  in  them  when  he  says:  "He  who  pur- 
chased me  with  the  blood  of  his  love,  and  called  me, 
who  am  unworthy,  to  his  service,  knows  me  and  knows 
that  I  seek  not  wealth,  nor  possessions,  nor  luxury,  nor 
ease,  but  only  the  praise  of  the  Lord,  my  salvation  and 
the  salvation  of  many  souls.  For  this  I  and  my  poor 
wife  and  children  have  for  eighteen  years  endured  ex- 
treme anxiety,  oppression,  affliction,  misery,  and  per- 
secutions, and  at  the  peril  of  my  life;  have  been  com- 
pelled everywhere  to  live  in  fear  and  seclusion;  yea, 
when  ministers  repose  on  easy  beds  and  downy  pillows, 
we  generally  have  to  hide  ourselves  in  secluded  corners : 
when  they,  at  weddings  and  feasts,  pipe  and  beat  the 
tambour,  and  vaunt  loudly,  we  must  look  out,  when  the 
dogs  bark  lest  the  captors  be  at  hand.  Whilst  they  are 
saluted  as  doctors,  lords  and  teachers  by  everyone,  we 
have  to  hear  that  we  are  Anabaptists,  hedge  preachers, 
deceivers,  and  heretics,  and  must  be  saluted  in  the  name 
of  the  devil.  In  short,  whilst  they  are  gloriously  re- 
warded for  their  services  with  large  incomes,  and  easy 
times,  our  recompense  and  portion  must  be  fire,  sword, 
and  death." 

Such  was  the  lot  of  the  early  Anabaptists — not  only 
leaders  but  followers  as  well.  Romanists  hated  Luther- 
ans and  Anabaptists,  Lutherans  hated  Romanists  and 
Anabaptists.  As  it  happened,  the  Reformation  occurred 
at  a  time  of  immense  social  changes,  and  errors  and  mis- 
fits were  evident  in  all  parts  of  society.    As  Nero  blamed 

19 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

the  Christians  for  the  burning  of  Rome,  so  the  Anabap- 
tists were  made  the  scapegoat  for  all  the  troubles  of 
the  age,  and  their  name  came  to  be  synonymous  with 
"scoundrel,"  "villain,"  "heretic" — a  hissing  and  a 
byword  throughout  the  land.  Add  to  this  the  fact  that 
they  refused  to  bear  arms  at  a  time  when  wars  were 
raging  and  soldiers  needed,  and  it  is  easy  to  understand 
why  the  Mennonites  were  so  severely  persecuted  and 
why  so  many  of  their  names  came  to  be  inscribed  upon 
the  pages  of  the  martyrs. 

Although  Menno  Simons  was  in  constant  danger  of 
his  life,  with  a  price  fixed  upon  his  head  by  royal  decree 
much  of  the  time ;  was  driven  from  one  place  to  another 
and  spent  much  of  his  time  in  exile,  it  was  his  lot  to 
live  to  a  reasonably  old  age  and  to  die  a  peaceful  and 
natural  death  at  his  own  home  at  Wuestenfelde,  on  the 
estate  of  a  sympathetic  nobleman.  In  this  respect,  the 
story  of  his  life  reminds  one  of  the  experiences  of  St. 
John  the  Beloved,  who,  though  persecuted  and  exiled, 
was  permitted  to  live  a  long  and  useful  life  and  to  die 
a  natural  death  at  his  Ephesian  home.  He  who  cared  for 
one  of  His  servants  amidst  the  persecutions  of  the  first 
century,  must  have  watched  over  another  during  the 
uncertainties  and  dangers  of  the  sixteenth.  He  had  a 
great  work  for  each  to  accomplish. 

As  a  result  of  the  self-sacrificing  efforts  of  Menno  and 
other  faithful  leaders,  the  Anabaptist,  or  Mennonite 
faith,  as  we  may  now  term  it,  was  preserved  to  the  world. 
Mennonite  centers  during  the  latter  half  of  the  sixteenth 
and  the  early  part  of  the  seventeenth  centuries  were 
found  in  northern  Holland,  northwestern  Germany 
along  the  lower  Rhine,  just  across  the  Dutch  border, 

20 


HISTORICAL  BACKGROUND. 

northern  Switzerland,  and  south  Germany  and  Alsace 
just  across  the  Swiss  border,  and  eastern  Prussia. 

The  largest  settlements  were  found  in  Holland,  where, 
for  a  time,  they  constituted  the  largest  evangelical  body 
of  Christians  in  the  land,  and  wielded  an  important 
influence  upon  the  political  and  industrial  life  of  the 
country.  From  1573  to  1584,  under  William  of  Orange, 
they  had  comparative  peace;  but,  following  his  death, 
persecutions  again  set  in.  Though  opposition  and  cer- 
tain limitations  on  worship  existed  until  well  into  the 
eighteenth  century,  in  Holland  violent  persecutions  were 
over  early  in  the  seventeenth.  This  fact  is  significant,  as 
it  left  the  Mennonites  in  the  Netherlands  free  to  develop 
as  they  chose.  Many  of  them  became  wealthy  and  were 
thus  enabled  to  help  their  persecuted  brethren  in  other 
countries  to  come  to  America.  To-day,  many  of  the 
most  prominent  men  in  various  walks  of  life  are  of  Men- 
nonite  faith.  They  still  have  about  one  hundred  and 
thirty  congregations,  with  a  population,  including  chil- 
dren who  are  always  included  in  European  religious 
statistics,  of  about  sixty-five  thousand.  Nearly  ten  thou- 
sand of  these  are  members  of  the  large  Mennonite  con- 
gregations in  Amsterdam. 

Switzerland,  too,  for  a  time,  contained  many  congre- 
gations, but  continued  persecution  drove  most  of  these 
across  the  border  into  south  Germany  and  Alsace.  Re- 
ligious toleration  was  not  won  for  the  Swiss  Mennonites 
until  after  the  French  Revolution  near  the  close  of  the 
eighteenth  century.  Besides  those  who  left  Switzerland 
for  other  European  countries,  many  came  to  the  United 
States,  settling  especially  in  Pennsylvania,  Virginia, 
Ohio,  Indiana,  and  Illinois. 

21 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

In  Moravia  the  Mennonites  were  known  as  Huterites 
because  of  their  leader,  Jacob  Huter.  They  enjoyed 
considerable  freedom  at  first,  but  after  1547  their 
troubles  began.  These  persecutions  lasted  till  the  latter 
part  of  the  eighteenth  century  (1781),  when  they  were 
granted  a  certain  degree  of  liberty,  but  not  exemption 
from  military  service.  For  this  reason  many  emigrated 
to  Russia  and  America.  In  the  Palatinate,  the  Mennon- 
ites were  persecuted  for  many  years  and,  even  after 
this  ceased,  oppressions  and  restrictions  made  it  un- 
comfortable for  them,  so  that  many  left  for  Holland  and 
Pennsylvania.  In  Prussia,  where  the  Mennonite  colonies 
were  largely  composed  of  Dutch  and  Swiss  refugees, 
comparative  freedom  was  granted  in  the  seventeenth  and 
greater  part  of  the  eighteenth  century.  This  liberty  was 
later  revoked  during  the  reign  of  Frederick  the  Great 
and  his  successors,  and  Mennonites  ordered  out  of  the 
country.  Then  again  privileges  were  granted  to  them. 
They  knew,  however,  that  these  privileges  could  not  last, 
and  the  final  result  was  that  many  left  for  other  coun- 
tries. 

Russia  offered  many  privileges  to  the  Mennonites  in 
the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century,  and,  accord- 
ingly, many  of  them  emigrated  to  South  Russia  between 
1788  and  1820,  upon  invitation  of  Catherine  the  Great 
and  her  successor  Paul.  Here  they  were  granted  liberal 
terms  of  settlement  upon  fertile  land,  including  military 
exemption,  and  did  much  to  enrich  the  country.  These 
exemption  laws  were  repealed  by  the  Czar  in  1870,  and 
about  one-third  of  the  entire  Russian  Mennonite  popu- 
lation emigrated  to  western  United  States  and  Manitoba 
in  the  years  immediately  following.     Russia  still  con- 

22 


HISTORICAL  BACKGROUND. 

tains,  however,  about  one-half  of  the  entire  Mennonite 
population  of  Europe. 

In  doctrine,  the  Mennonites  of  Europe  retained  the 
essential  Anabaptist  beliefs,  with  little  modification,  un- 
til toward  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century.  Since 
then,  however,  there  have  been  a  number  of  rather 
radical  departures  from  the  faith  of  the  fathers.  The 
first  to  depart  from  the  fundamentals  were  the  Dutch. 
Non-resistance  and  opposition  to  war  was  abandoned 
about  the  time  of  the  Napoleonic  wars.  Other  groups 
followed  the  Dutch  in  the  course  of  the  century,  and 
during  the  recent  war,  outside  of  Russia,  there  was  little 
opposition  to  military  service  among  the  European  Men- 
nonites, and  few  conscientious  objectors.  In  Russia 
the  law  permitted  Mennonites  to  perform  non-combatant 
service,  and  nearly  all  of  them  took  that  form  of  service, 
most  of  them  choosing  hospital  work.  Rationalism  also 
has  strongly  affected  the  Dutch  church,  and  they  are 
quite  liberal  to-day  on  many  of  the  fundamental  doc- 
trines of  Christianity.  The  Russians  and  Swiss  are  the 
most  orthodox  of  the  European  Mennonites  today. 

We  have  seen  now,  very  briefly,  how  the  Mennonite 
movement  originated  and  how  it  developed.  From  the 
beginning  the  Mennonites  were  different  from  other 
folks.  They  were  a  peculiar  people,  and  emphasizing, 
as  they  did,  their  particular  doctrines  which  were  not 
popular  at  the  time,  it  is  easy  to  see  why  trouble  arose. 
The  main  difficulty  in  the  case  of  the  Mennonites  was, 
that  they  were  several  centuries  ahead  of  their  time, 
and  a  prophet  is  seldom  popular  in  his  own  country 
or  his  own  age.  In  fact,  the  world  is  just  now  beginning 
to  see  the  truth  in  some  of  the  teachings  for  which  they 

23 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

suffered  and  died.  Amid  all  of  these  persecutions,  op- 
pressions, and  unsatisfactory  migrations  from  place  to 
place,  America  loomed  large  and  promising  in  their  eyes. 
Little  wonder,  then,  that  with  curses  and  hatred  on  one 
side  of  the  Atlantic  and  peace  and  friends  on  the  other, 
thousands  of  these  peace-loving  people  decided  to  find 
homes  in  the  New  World. 

The  first  Mennonites  to  come  to  America  were  among 
stray  Dutch  merchants  who  early  visited  the  Dutch  pos- 
sessions in  New  Amsterdam,  now  New  York.1  The  co- 
lonial records  of  New  York  refer  to  Mennonite  settle- 
ments on  Manhattan  Island  as  early  as  1643.  In  1663 
Cornelius  Pieter  Plockhoy,  a  communist  of  Mennonite 
descent,  established  in  what  is  now  Delaware  a  small 
communist  Mennonite  colony.  Very  little  is  known  of 
these  early  Mennonite  colonies,  however,  and  they  soon 
disappear  from  history  entirely.  The  first  permanent 
settlement  was  made  in  Pennsylvania,  in  1683,  at  Ger- 
mantown.2  William  Penn  had  met  Mennonites  earlier 
in  Holland  and  Germany,  and  had  many  friends  among 
them.  Accordingly,  he  was  glad  to  welcome  them  to 
Pennsylvania.  On  October  3rd,  thirteen  families  from 
Crefeld,  Germany,  reached  America  and  settled  on  a 
tract  of  land  previously  purchased  near  Philadelphia, 
called  Germantown.  This  colony  suffered  many  hard- 
ships, but  survived,  and  may  well  be  regarded  as  the 
cradle  of  Mennonitism  in  America.  It  was  not  only  the 
first  Mennonite,  but  the  first  German  settlement  in  Amer- 
ica. It  grew  by  continued  immigration,  mostly  from 
Holland  and  Germany,  especially  the  lower  Rhine  coun- 


1  See  Dr.  C.  Henry  Smith's  Mennonites  of  America    (pp.  81-93)   for  full 
accounts. 

-  Ibid.    (pp.  94-133)   for  full  account. 

24 


HISTORICAL  BACKGROUND. 

try.  A  new  settlement,  known  as  the  Skippach  settle- 
ment, was  soon  founded  about  thirty  miles  away. 

In  1710  another  wave  of  immigration  started  and 
brought  nearly  100,000  German  settlers  over  (most  of 
them  non-Mennonite)  in  the  succeeding  seventy-five 
years.  These  became  the  progenitors  of  the  modern 
Pennsylvania  Dutch.  About  10,000  acres  were  taken  up 
in  what  is  now  Lancaster  County,  and  the  first  colonists 
were  so  well  pleased  that  they  immediately  sent  back 
for  their  friends  and  relatives.  Other  settlements  farther 
west  were  formed,  some  even  beyond  the  Alleghenies. 
From  these  two  original  centers  came  all  the  later  Men- 
nonite  congregations,  both  east  and  west  of  the  Alle- 
ghenies, until  the  new  wave  of  immigration  set  in  early 
in  the  nineteenth  century.  As  a  result  of  natural  in- 
crease, the  settlements  were  expanded  to  the  north  over 
Berks,  Lehigh,  Bucks,  Chester,  and  Northampton  coun- 
ties, also  parts  of  Virginia,  Ohio,  and  Indiana,  and  other 
states  farther  west  in  recent  years.  These  early  con- 
gregations have  adhered,  in  the  main,  to  that  body  known 
as  Old  Mennonites ;  but  later  various  schisms  took  place, 
resulting  in  the  formation  of  several  new  bodies,  some 
joining  in  with  the  General  Conference  of  Mennonites, 
and  one  of  the  others  uniting  with  the  Mennonite  Breth- 
ren in  Christ. 

Ohio  and  Indiana  and  even  Illinois  received  many 
settlers  from  the  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia  Mennonites ; 
but,  beside  these,  there  started  in  about  1815  a  wave  of 
immigration  which  brought  over  several  thousand  Men- 
nonites from  Switzerland  and  many  Alsatian  and  South 
German  Amish.  The  latter  settled  mostly  in  Fulton 
and  Butler  counties,  Ohio,  and  in  various  other  places 
in  New  York,  Illinois,  Iowa,  Canada,  and  later  in  Ne- 

25 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

braska  from  Illinois.  The  former  settled  mainly  in 
Wayne,  Allen,  Ashland  Counties,  Ohio;  Adams  County 
Indiana;  and  parts  of  other  States. 

The  last  large  group  of  Mennonites  to  enter  America 
were  the  German-Russians,  who,  between  1874  and  1880 
settled  in  large  communities  in  Kansas,  the  Dakotas,  Min- 
nesota, and  Manitoba.  Many  of  the  Mennonite  immi- 
grants came  to  America  for  economic  reasons,  but  the 
Russians,  as  we  saw,  came  for  "conscience  sake,"  pro- 
testing against  even  the  non-combatant  military  serv- 
ice prescribed  for  them  by  the  Czar  in  1870.  In  June, 
1920,  a  commission  of  four  men  from  Russia:  B.  H.  Un- 
ruh,  A.  A.  Friesen,  C.  H.  Warkentin,  and  Johann  Esau, 
came  to  America  in  search  of  a  new  home  for  a  large 
part  or  all  of  the  nearly  one  hundred  thousand  Men- 
nonites who  were  in  Russia  at  the  close  of  the  World  War 
and  who  had  suffered  greatly.  What  the  outcome  of  this 
visit  will  be  is  a  matter  of  the  future. 

Canada  received  many  Mennonites  from  the  United 
States  after  the  Revolutionary  War,  they  preferring  to 
remain  k^al  to  the  King  of  England  rather  than  to  live 
under  a  revolutionary  government.  Most  of  them  came 
from  Pennsylvania  and  New  York.  A  colony  in  Lincoln 
County,  Ontario,  was  started  in  1786,  and  later  an- 
other colony  in  Waterloo  County,  Ontario.  These 
grew  rapidly  until  a  large  body  of  Mennonites  existed 
in  Canada.  As  in  Pennsylvania,  internal  dissensions 
arose  and  gave  rise  to  numerous  sects,  two  of  whom, 
the  New  Mennonites  and  the  Reformed  Mennonites, 
joined  later  assisting  in  forming  the  Mennonite  Breth- 
ren in  Christ. 

Before  taking  up  the  immediate  antecedents  of  the 
Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ,  a  brief  survey  of  the 

26 


HISTORICAL  BACKGROUND. 

Mennonites  as  a  whole,  about  the  middle  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  is  necessary.  There  were  about  50,000 
Mennonites  in  North  America  at  this  time,  with  settle- 
ments in  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  New  York,  Indiana,  Illi- 
nois, Iowa,  Missouri,  and  various  parts  of  Canada.  These 
people  were  gathered  in  congregations  of  various  sizes 
and  were  of  three  types. 

The  Mennonites  who  were  the  first  to  come  over,  and 
who  constituted  the  first  type,  settled  in  colonies,  with 
congregations  scattered  and  unorganized.  Each  congre- 
gation chose  its  ministers  from  among  the  local  mem- 
bers. Gradually  a  certain  intercourse  grew  up.  For 
example,3  the  first  church  was  organized  at  German- 
town.  Soon  after,  services  were  held  at  Deep  Run, 
about  thirty  miles  distant,  and  also  at  Skippach,  or  what 
is  now  known  as  Franconia.  Each  church  had  its  minis- 
ters, and  there  existed  a  warm  intimacy  between  them. 
Naturally  there  was  considerable  co-operation  among 
them.  So,  as  the  Mennonites  spread  west,  they  main- 
tained friendly  relations  with  their  relatives  and  friends 
left  behind.  Thus  there  came  to  be  a  large  number  of 
Mennonite  congregations,  connected  by  ties  of  blood, 
friendship,  or  similarities  in  belief.  This  was  in  the 
middle  of  the  nineteenth  century  the  Old  Mennonite 
church  ;  and  while  no  definite  organic  unity  was  yet  man- 
ifest, there  was  enough  similarity  and  co-operation  to 
designate  them  as  a  separate  body.4 

The  test  of  fellowship  between  congregations  seems  to 
have  been  the  recognition  of  visiting  ministers,  by  allow- 
ing them  to  preach.    There  was  a  great  amount  of  travel- 


3  Funk,   J.    P.      Mennonite   Church   and  her  accusers,   p.   37. 
*  Conferences  had  been  held  as  early  as  1727,  but  these  were  for  the  pur- 
pose of  consultation.     They  showed  similarity,  but  no  organic  unity. 

27 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

ing  done  by  ministers,  and  the  visiting  man,  if  regarded 
as  a  "brother,"  would  be  asked  to  preach.  Besides  the 
ministers,  there  was  also  a  Bishop  or  Elder  who  was  over 
perhaps  three  or  four  congregations.  He  was  fully  or- 
dained, and  he  alone  was  qualified  to  baptize,  administer 
the  sacraments,  and  ordain  ministers.  Ministers  were 
chosen  from  the  local  congregation,  and  bishops  from 
the  ministers.  There  were  two  methods  of  choosing: 
first,  by  vote,  and,  if  there  was  a  clear  decision  in  favor 
of  one  candidate,  he  was  accepted.  If,  however,  there 
was  any  doubt  or  the  vote  especially  close,  one  was  chosen 
by  lot  from  the  few  highest  candidates  and  he  ordained.5 
These  points  in  regard  to  church  polity  are  interesting 
here  as  they  throw  light  on  the  situations  surrounding 
the  formation  of  the  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ. 

The  Amish  were  the  second  type  of  Mennonites,  and 
were  followers  of  Jacob  Amman,  a  man  who  had  been 
a  Mennonite  preacher  in  Switzerland  and  had  separated 
from  the  Mennonites  in  1693,  because  he  believed  in  a 
more  conservative  policy.  In  particular,  he  thought  that 
the  ban  should  be  applied  more  closely  to  excommuni- 
cated members,  and  a  more  rigid  plainness  in  dress  ad- 
hered to.  Some  of  the  Amish  had  come  to  Pennsylvania 
early  in  the  eighteenth  century,  but  many  came  later, 
in  the  nineteenth  century,  and  were  now  found  in  New 
York,  Ohio,  Illinois,  Indiana,  Iowa,  and  Canada. 


5  The  method  used  in  deciding  by  lot  was  to  take  several  books  (as  many 
as  candidates)  and  enclose  in  one  a  slip  of  paper,  generally  an  ordination 
certificate.  The  books  were  then  laid  on  the  table,  and  the  man  selecting 
the  proper  book  was  chosen.  This  method  is  being  gradually  abandoned, 
however,  because  of  the  danger  of  confusion  as  in  the  case  of  the  man 
who  found  the  slip  of  paper  in  his  book  and  was  immediately  ordained. 
Later  investigations  showed  the  slip  to  be  an  ordinary  piece  of  paper,  ac- 
cidently  left  the  book,  and  another  man  had  drawn  the  ordination  cer- 
tificate. 

28 


HISTORICAL  BACKGROUND. 

The  third  type  were  also  from  Switzerland,  but  were 
not  Amish.  The  Napoleonic  Wars  produced  a  military 
spirit  that  drove  many  Mennonites  from  Switzerland, 
France  and  Germany  to  America.  The  first  ones  settled 
in  Ohio,  in  Wayne  County.  New  arrivals  continued  to 
come,  and  they  spread  on  west  to  Indiana.  They  differed 
from  the  Old  Mennonites  considerably  in  dress,  customs, 
and  language,  and  were  never  assimilated.  At  present 
most  of  them  are  affiliated  with  the  General  Conference 
of  Mennonites. 

The  nineteenth  century  was  especially  prolific  in 
schisms.  Few  churches  have  been  so  divided  as  the  Men- 
nonite,  and  generally  from  causes  that  should  never  have 
existed.  Dr.  Smith  enumerates  three  reasons  for  this 
unhappy  condition.6  First,  the  Mennonite  and  Ana- 
baptist faith  always  fostered  a  strong  spirit  of  individ- 
ualism. Every  man  was  accountable  for  his  own  deeds. 
This  spirit,  while  developing  the  strongest  character, 
does  it  at  the  expense  of  uniformity  and  harmony. 
Secondly,  Mennonites  coming  from  the  humbler  walks 
of  life  were  not  trained  to  subordinate  non-essentials 
to  the  broader  interests  of  life.  Thirdly,  being  thoroughly 
religious,  they  took  their  religion  seriously  and  clung  to 
their  convictions  with  great  tenacity.  The  loose  organ- 
ization also  favored  schisms,  for  a  strong  leader  could 
easily  draw  away  a  considerable  following  of  his  im- 
mediate friends,  and  the  church  had  no  way  of  effectively 
remonstrating.7  It  must  not  be  forgotten,  however,  that 
Mennonites,  having  been  driven  from  one  country  to 


6  C.  Henry  Smith,  Mennonites  of  America,  p.  291. 

7  For  more  extended  treatment  of  these  schisms  see  Smith,  Mennonites 
of  America;  Hartzler  and  Kauffman,  Mennonite  Church  History;  Daniel 
Musser,  History  of  Reformed  Mennonite  Church;  and  J.  F.  Funk,  Men- 
nonite Church  and  Her  Accusers. 

29 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

another  in  Europe  in  quest  of  religious  freedom,  na- 
tional and  language  differences  have  figured  in  the  cre- 
ating of  various  bodies  on  coming  to  America,  also  that 
the  Mennonite  Church  is  much  older  than  the  average 
church  with  which  comparisons  are  usually  made. 

The  first  controversy  in  American  Mennonitism  be- 
gan before  the  close  of  the  eighteen  th  century  (1775- 
1777).  When  the  Revolutionary  war  was  in  progress, 
the  State  of  Pennsylvania  levied  a  special  war  tax  upon 
its  citizens  of  three  pounds  and  ten  shillings  apiece,  to 
help  carry  on  the  war.  Many  of  the  Mennonites  joined 
the  Quakers  in  their  position,  that  they  could  no  more 
give  of  their  means  to  carry  on  war  than  they  could 
give  themselves.  Christian  Funk  protested  against  this 
attitude,  declaring  that  the  war  tax  should  be  paid. 
Funk  was  excommunicated  in  1778,  and  organized  a 
small  body  known  as  "Funkites, "  which  continued  to 
exist  until  about  1850. 

It  was  about  this  time  also  that  Martin  Boehm  was 
expelled  from  the  Old  Mennonites.  Boehm  was  a  Men- 
nonite minister,  and  claimed  to  have  received  "more 
light."  Just  what  the  charges  against  him  were  are 
hard  to  tell,  but  some  are  explained  in  an  old  manuscript 
drawn  up  by  ministers  of  the  Mennonite  Church  of  Lan- 
caster County.8  It  is  not  dated,  but  is  written  probably 
between  1875  and  1880.  The  first  charge  is,  associating 
too  much  with  professing  Christians  who  admit  war  and 
oaths.  The  second  is  his  assertion  that ' '  Satan  is  a  bene- 
fit to  mankind."  Thirdly,  his  assertion  that  "the  Scrip- 
tures might  be  burned,"   and,   fourthly,    "that  Faith 


8  For  the   text  of  the   manuscript   see  J.   F.   Funk's   Mennonite   Church 
and  Her  Accusers,  pp.  42-56. 

30 


HISTORICAL  BACKGROUND. 

cometh  from  unbelief,  life  out  of  death,  and  light  out  of 
darkness."  These  charges  were  taken  so  seriously  that 
it  was  concluded  that  he  could  not  be  kept  in  church 
fellowship  unless  he  would  recant.  This  he  did  not  do 
satisfactorily  and  was  excommunicated.  Boehm  then 
united  forces  with  Philip  William  Otterbein,  a  German 
Reformed  minister  whom  he  had  met  in  1765.  Together 
they  started  the  United  Brethren  in  Christ  Church. 
Their  first  formal  conference  was  held  in  1789. 

The  next  schism  was  that  occasioned  in  1812,  in  Lan- 
caster County,  Pennsylvania,  by  John  Herr,  who  claimed 
that  the  old  church  was  hopelessly  corrupt.  He  separated 
from  the  church,  and  with  his  followers  established  the 
Reformed  Mennonite  Church.9  Daniel  Musser  followed 
him  and  continued  his  policy.  The  church  still  exists 
but  is  a  small  body,  rather  conservative,  with  little  in- 
fluence. 

The  Oberholtzer  schism  occurred  in  1847.  John  H. 
Oberholtzer  was  a  minister  in  Montgomery  County,  Penn- 
sylvania, but  was  too  progressive  for  his  more  conserva- 
tive brethren.  This  led,  in  time,  to  his  expulsion  from 
the  church.  Fifteen  other  ministers  followed  him. 
Since  then  these  ''Oberholtzer"  congregations  have 
joined  the  General  Conference  Movement. 

John  Holdeman  caused  another  schism  in  1858  in 
Wayne  County,  Ohio,  and  organized  the  Church  of  God. 
But  this  body  grew  very  slowly,  and  is  very  small  at 
the  present  time. 

The  Wisler  Mennonites  were  formed  in  1870  as  a  re- 


'■'  These  people  should  not  be  confused  with  the  Reformed  Mennonites 
who  appeared  later  in  Canada  and  were  one  of  the  bodies  forming-  the 
Mennonite   Brethren  in  Christ. 

31 


MENNONITE   BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

suit  of  Jacob  Wisler's  withdrawal  from  the  church.  He 
was  a  bishop  in  the  Yellow  Creek  congregation  in  In- 
diana and  favored  a  more  conservative  policy. 

Along  with  these  disintegrating  tendencies,  there  was 
a  desire  among  many  that  the  Mennonites  might  be  more 
united,  especially  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  on  mis- 
sion work  and  education.  Accordingly,  a  movement  was 
set  on  foot  to  bring  those  congregations  which  would 
consider  it  into  co-operation.  John  H.  Oberholtzer,  from 
Pennsylvania,  and  Daniel  Hoch,  from  Canada,  with 
several  men  from  the  west,  were  instrumental  in  bring- 
ing this  about.  In  1860  a  conference  was  held  in  Iowa 
at  which  several  of  the  more  liberal  congregations  were 
represented.  This  was  followed  by  other  conferences, 
with  more  congregations  taking  part.  The  idea  spread, 
and  a  considerable  number  of  congregations  have  united 
in  the  movement.  At  present  it  is  the  most  liberal  body 
of  Mennonites  and  the  largest,  except  the  Old  Men- 
nonites. 

The  latest  movement  toward  Mennonite  friendliness 
is  the  holding  of  All-Mennonite  Conventions  for  the  pur- 
pose of  bringing  Mennonites  of  every  kind  together, 
getting  acquainted,  and  paving  the  way  for  better  co- 
operation in  the  future.  This  shows  that  the  conscious 
wish  and  desire  is  for  harmony,  if  not  unity.  Though 
some  of  the  original  causes  of  separation  exist,  it  is  evi- 
dent that  the  prevalent  tendency  is  away  from  unneces- 
sary schisms  and  favors  the  overlooking  of  differences 
so  far  as  they  are  of  a  trivial  nature  and  do  not  affect 
essential  doctrines  or  practices. 

The  following  statistics  show  approximately  the  num- 
ber of  Mennonites  in  European  countries,  also  the  rela- 

32 


HISTORICAL  BACKGROUND. 

tive  sizes  of  the  various  bodies  in  America  at  the  present 
time. 

Entire  Population, 

Including  Children, 

EUROPE.  Though  Unbaptized. 

Netherlands 65,000 

Switzerland  1,500 

Galicia  590 

Germany 20,000 

Russia 100,000 

France- Alsace-Lorraine   3,500 

190,590 

UNITED  STATES  AND  CANADA  Baptized  Member*. 

1.  Old  Mennonites 2S,000 

2.  General  Conference   21,307 

3.  Church  of  God  in  Christ 1,500 

4.  Amish-Mennonites    9,000 

5.  Old  Order  Amish  8,000 

6.  Amish  Mennonite  Conservative  1,250 

7.  Defenseless  Mennonites   1,200 

8.  Central  Conference  of  Mennonites  2,708 

9.  Wisler  Mennonites 1,600 

10.  Mennonite  Brethren   (Bruedergemeinde) . .       6,300 

11.  Krimmer  Brueder   1,000 

12.  Conference  of  Defenseless   Mennonites   of 

North  America  1,400 

13.  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ 8,503 

14.  Reformed  Mennonites 1,200 

15.  Huterites   (South  Dakota)    1,000 

16.  Stauferites  200 

17.  Independent  Russian  Groups  in  Manitoba, 

Saskatchewan,  and  Alberta  9,500 

Total   103,668 


33 


CHAPTER  II. 

Formation  of  the  United  Mennonites. 

The  history  of  the  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ  is 
a  history  first  of  division  and  then  of  uniting.  Several 
small  groups  in  various  localities  separated  from 
the  main  body  of  Mennonites,  and  later,  becoming  ac- 
quainted, amalgamated  in  successive  unions,  forming 
finally  the  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ.  In  the  case 
of  each  division  the  cause  was  somewhat  the  same — a 
large  body  desiring  to  cling  to  the  established  methods, 
with  a  smaller  body  wishing  to  adopt  a  more  aggressive, 
evangelistic  type  of  work.  This  in  each  case  eventually 
led  to  an  estrangement  resulting  in  division.  It  should 
not  be  thought  that  insignificant  trifles  produced  these 
ruptures.  There  was  generally  a  pronounced  difference 
of  spirit  that  only  showed  itself  in  little  things  that  then 
became  the  occasion  of  difficulty. 

The  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ  arose  from  four 
different  groups.  Three  of  these  were  of  Mennonite  stock 
directly  and  the  fourth  a  branch  of  the  River  Breth- 
ren, who  were  indirectly  descended  from  the  Mennonites. 
The  first  union  occurred  in  1875,  and  through  this  the 
New  Mennonites  and  Reformed  Mennonites  were  brought 
together.  The  next  union  was  between  these  United 
Mennonites,  as  they  now  called  themselves,  and  the  Evan- 
gelical Mennonites  of  Pennsylvania,  the  name  assumed 
being  Evangelical  United  Mennonites.  These  again 
united  with  the  Brethren  in  Christ  and  the  present 
name,  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ,  taken. 

34 


UNITED  MENNONITES. 

From  this  summary  it  will  be  seen  that  there  are  four 
movements  to  be  traced,  namely  the  New  Mennonites, 
Reformed  Mennonites,  Evangelical  Mennonites  and  the 
Brethren  in  Christ,  involving  in  all  three  different 
unions  before  the  final  result  was  reached.  Singularly, 
the  oldest  bodies  were  the  last  to  join  in,  and  the  first 
union  was  between  the  two  youngest. 

A  few  words  regarding  each  will  locate  them  and  give 
a  general  survey.  The  Brethren  in  Christ  was  the  first 
branch  formed.  It  split  off  from  the  River  Brethren 
in  1838.  These  people  were  found  entirely  in  the  United 
States,  and  united  to  form  the  Mennonite  Brethren  in 
Christ  in  1883.  The  Evangelical  Mennonites  were  the 
second  body  to  appear.  They  came  entirely  from 
Pennsylvania,  and  broke  away  from  the  Oberholtzer 
(later,  General  Conference)  Mennonites  in  1857, 
uniting  to  form  the  Evangelical  United  Mennon- 
ites in  1879.  The  remaining  two  bodies  were  the  New 
Mennonites  and  Reformed  Mennonites,  and  will  be  taken 
up  in  this  chapter.  No  definite  date  can  be  given  for  the 
separation  of  the  New  Mennonites,  as  they  left  the  old 
church  at  various  times  in  different  places.  Probably  all 
the  different  congregations  had  separated  before  1865. 
The  Reformed  Mennonites  separated  in  1874,  and  the 
union  of  the  two  occurred  in  the  following  year.  The 
last  two  originated  in  Canada,  though  the  Reformed 
Mennonites  afterward  spread  to  Indiana,  and  was  the 
largest  body. 

New  Mennonites. 

As  shown  before,  Canada  received  the  Mennonite  set- 
tlers from  the  United  States.  During  the  Revolution  the 
Mennonites  were  nominally  neutral,  though  at  heart 
many  of  them  favored  the  king  and   were  distrustful 

35 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

toward  the  new  government  rising  from  such  chaos. 
Moreover,  their  non-resistant  principles  had  been  recog- 
nized by  the  king.  It  was  but  natural  that  they  should 
look  favorably  upon  British  possessions  under  such  cir- 
cumstances. In  1786  a  group  of  men  from  Bucks  County, 
Pennsylvania,  started  a  settlement  in  Lincoln  County, 
Ontario,  about  twenty  miles  from  Niagara  Falls.  This 
grew  and  spread  to  a  few  adjacent  counties. 

The  second  settlement  was  started  in  Waterloo  County. 
Joseph  Shoerg  and  Samuel  Betzner  in  1799  started  a 
tour  of  investigation  and  selected  fertile  lands  near  the 
Grand  River.  They  settled  near  Preston,  Ontario,  and 
in  the  succeeding  years  other  settlers  arrived,  until,  at 
the  end  of  ten  years,  there  existed  a  rather  flourishing 
colony.  It  was  found  out  that  the  land  which  the  peo- 
ple had  bought  was  mortgaged,  and  though  money  was 
raised  with  the  help  of  the  Pennsylvania  brethren,  the 
uncertainty  diverted  settlement  for  a  time  to  land  far- 
ther north,  in  York  County. 

We  have  then,  three  main  communities  of  Mennonites 
in  Ontario  in  the  nineteenth  century — Lincoln  County, 
Waterloo  County,  and  York  County.  Naturally  they 
spread  out  from  these,  and  many  congregations  existed 
in  other  places.  Among  the  settlers  was  Benjamin  Eby, 
who  came  to  Waterloo  County  in  1806.  In  1809  he  was 
chosen  a  minister,  and  three  years  later  was  made  bishop. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  Mennonite  bishops  in  Canada. 

The  conditions  in  the  old  church  should  be  somewhat 
described  before  we  proceed.  The  spiritual  life  was  at 
a  rather  low  ebb;  the  means  of  spiritual  growth  were 
meagre.  Meetings,  in  many  cases,  were  held  but  once  a 
month.  There  was  no  opportunity  for  expression  of  the 
religious  feeling,  and  almost  everything  was  done  from 

36 


UNITED  MENNONITES. 

a  sense  of  duty.  No  attempt  was  made  to  encourage 
any  aggressive  work,  but  rather  a  consistent  definite 
opposition  to  any  form  of  new  methods.  English  preach- 
ing was  under  the  ban,  and,  likewise,  Sunday  schools, 
prayer  meetings,  and  evangelistic  meetings.  Leaders 
recognized  more  or  less  the  lack  of  vitality  and  bemoaned 
the  condition,  but  nothing  was  done  to  remedy  it.  This 
is  not  said  in  any  derogatory  way,  but  simply  to  explain 
why  the  organization  of  new  societies  was  inevitable. 
Most  of  the  things  mentioned  above  as  not  allowed  are 
accepted  by  the  Old  Mennonite  Church  now  without 
question;  and  had  a  little  more  tolerance  and  patience 
been  exercised  on  both  sides  at  the  time,  the  division 
might  perhaps  have  been  avoided. 

The  Lincoln  County  settlement  was  the  first  Mennonite 
settlement  in  Canada,  and  a  considerable  number  of 
members  were  found  along  the  northern  shore  of  Lake 
Erie.  Here  they  settled,  not  compactly,  but  scattered 
in  small  bodies ;  and  being  thus  isolated  from  each  other, 
it  was  difficult  to  keep  spiritual  life  at  a  very  high  point. 
To  prevent  decline  in  religious  life,  Daniel  Hoch,1  a 
minister  who  lived  near  Niagara  Falls,  often  made 
preaching  tours  at  his  own  expense,  visiting  these  scat- 
tered churches.  As  a  result  of  this,  quite  a  demand  for 
his  services  arose,  and  during  August,  1853,  services 
were  held  in  the  various  churches  to  consider  the  ques- 
tion of  evangelization  work.  The  outcome  was  that  Hoch 
was  given  a  call  to  spend  his  time  entirely  in  this  kind 
of  work,  the  different  churches  assuming  his  financial 
support.  It  is  probable  that  he  accepted  this  call  and 
carried  forward  his   work  with  increased  vigor.      Of 


1  See    Krehbiel,    History    of    the    Mennonite   General    Conference,    p.    18. 
Hoch  is  known  in  many  places  as  Daniel  High. 

37 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

course,  all  of  this  was  under  the  Old  Mennonite  Church, 
but  Hoch  soon  came  to  employ  methods  in  his  aggres- 
sive work  which  the  church  could  not  stand  for.  The 
conservatism  and  opposition  to  new  methods  has  already 
been  referred  to,  and,  accordingly,  Hoch  and  all  his  fol- 
lowers were  expelled  by  Bishop  Tilman  Moyer  about 
the  year  1855.  John  H.  Oberholtzer  had  been  expelled 
similarly  a  few  years  before  (1847)  in  Pennsylvania, 
and  in  1852  he  started  the  first  Mennonite  periodical 
in  America,  the  "Religioser  Botschaf ter. "  Among 
other  things,  he  labored  hard  for  a  union  of  all  Men- 
nonites,  and  it  was  partly  through  his  efforts  that  the 
General  Conference  of  Mennonites  came  into  existence. 
Daniel  Hoch  took  it  upon  himself  to  work  for  the  same 
end,  and  was  quite  favorable  to  Oberholtzer 's  idea  of 
union.  His  name  occurs  frequently  in  the  early  part 
of  the  history  of  the  General  Conference  Mennonites. 
Hoch's  relation  to  the  New  Mennonites,  with  whom  we 
are  concerned  at  present,  cannot  be  ascertained  exactly. 
That  he  was  considered  a  regular  minister  seems  pos- 
sible, for  he  is  quite  well  known  among  the  older  men 
who  came  in  with  that  movement.2  This  much  is  cer- 
tain: Hoch's  followers  were  connected  with  the  New 
Mennonites  at  a  later  date  and  helped  form  the  United 
Mennonites. 

The  New  Mennonites  did  not  exist  only  in  the  Lincoln 
County  settlement,  but  reforming  bodies  seemed  to  be 
found  wherever  there  were  Mennonites  in  the  Dominion. 
These  people  were  often  acquainted  with  each  other, 
especially  the  leaders,  and  thus  co-operated  considerably. 


2  Peter  Gehjer,  an  old  minister  of  the  New  Mennonites,  mentioned  Daniel 
Hoch  as  one  of  their  early  ministers,  and  Moses  Weber,  likewise  referred 
to  "Old  Daniel  High."     His  home  was  given  as  at  "the  Twenty." 

38 


UNITED  MENNONITES. 

Some  of  the  different  places  where  these  New  Mennon- 
ites  arose,  were:  Blair,  Dundee,  and  Breslau.  These 
were  in  the  Waterloo  County  region.  At  Gormley,  near 
Markham,  there  was  another  group  of  New  Mennonites. 
Thus  we  have  New  Mennonites  from  each  of  the  three 
original  Mennonite  settlements.  Of  course,  the  exact 
manner  of  growth  of  the  churches  varied  in  each  case, 
but  the  case  of  the  Markham  congregation  is  typical. 
There  were  three  men  especially  concerned  in  the  move- 
ment: Abram  Raymer,  John  Steckley,  and  Christian 
Troyer.  The  year  the  work  started  cannot  be  dated 
definitely,  but  it  must  have  been  about  1860,  certainly 
not  much  later,  as  is  shown  by  the  following  portion  of 
a  letter  which  throws  considerable  light  on  the  period.3 
' '  I  am  a  member  of  the  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ 
since  the  year  1863.  It  will  be  fifty-two  years,  if  I  live 
till  February,  1916.  I  was  born  in  the  Township  of 
Markham,  when  the  now  M.  B.  C.  had  no  church.  There 
was  a  split  in  the  Old  Mennonite  Church,  and  those 
ministers  that  believed  in  a  new  birth  and  upheld  prayer 
meetings  could  not  preach  in  the  old  church.  So  there 
were  two,  Abraham  Raymer  and  Christie  Troyer.  So 
Brother  Raymer  held  meetings  wherever  there  was  an 
open  door.  He  held  prayer  meetings  on  Sundays,  at 
private  houses,  and  several  were  converted.  My  father 
left  the  old  church  and  came  to  those  cottage  prayer 
meetings,  as  the  Mennonites  which  now  are  had  no 
church  in  the  year  1863." 


3  The  letter  was  written  in  response  to  the  suggestion  of  Rev.  J.  A. 
Huffman  in  an  editorial  in  the  Gospel  Banner,  that  some  of  the  older  peo- 
ple write  down  their  knowledge  of  the  origin  and  early  growth  of  the 
church.  It  is  signed  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Levi  Raymer.  and  bears  the  date,  July 
31.  1915. 

39 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Abram  Raymer4  was  a  preacher  in  the  Old  Mennonite 
Church,  but  finally  got  to  the  place  where  he  thought 
himself  unsaved  and  living  in  darkness  without  the 
power  of  Christ  in  his  life.  At  this  time  he  experienced 
a  change  of  heart  and  started  out  preaching  in  more 
evangelistic  style.  But  with  this  the  Old  Mennonites 
refused  to  retain  him ;  consequently  he  preached  wher- 
ever opportunity  offered,  as  suggested  in  the  letter 
quoted  above.  Through  his  efforts  John  Steckley  was 
converted.  Steckley  himself  was  never  a  member  of  the 
old  church.  Following  his  conversion,  the  Dunkards 
who  lived  near  him,  asked  him  to  join  them,  but  he  re- 
fused because  of  their  belief  in  close  communion  and  a 
few  similar  things.  Christian  Troyer  was  a  preacher 
among  the  Old  Mennonites,  but,  as  in  the  case  of  Ray- 
mer, he  was  expelled,  following  his  conversion  and  the 
adoption  of  more  aggressive  work.  These  three  men 
worked  together  holding  meetings,  and  through  their 
efforts  many  were  converted.  The  name,  New  Mennon- 
ites, was  taken  by  them  to  distinguish  themselves. 

Thus  the  New  Mennonites  arose  at  Markham.  John 
McNally  worked  in  the  region  of  Blair  (Waterloo 
County),  and  in  a  similar  manner  built  up  a  class.  Sam- 
uel Schlichter,  at  Dundee,  accomplished  the  same  thing. 
In  this  manner  New  Mennonites  came  to  be  found  in 
several  places.  They  were  based  on  similar  principles 
and  held  conferences  together,  though  there  was  very 
little  organization. 

4  The  information  in  this  paragraph  was  secured  mostly  from  Moses 
Weber,  an  old  minister,  and  his  wife,  on  a  visit  with  them  in  January, 
1918,  at  Markham,  Ontario. 


40 


UNITED  MENNONITES. 

Reformed  Mennonites. 

In  considering  the  Reformed  Mennonites,  we  find  that 
they  originated  in  a  similar  manner  about  the  same  time. 
The  places  where  they  arose  were  at  Port  Elgin  and 
Waterloo  mainly,  with  a  few  scattered  congregations. 
The  movement  spread  from  Canada  to  Indiana  through 
Daniel  Brenneman  and  John  Krupp,  so  that  eventually 
quite  a  number  existed  in  Indiana  as  well  as  in  Canada. 

It  seems  that  the  trouble  originated  in  Bruce  County, 
with  the  Port  Elgin  congregation.5  Solomon  Eby  was 
their  minister.  Eby  was  born  in  1834  and  was  reared 
in  the  Old  Mennonite  Church,  being  chosen  as  a  preacher 
August  8,  1858,  at  the  age  of  twenty-four,  and  started 
preaching  at  Port  Elgin.  During  the  following  years 
he  was  considerably  troubled  over  the  condition  of  the 
church,  and  held  meetings  weekly,  although  the  custom 
was  not  common.  His  trouble  increased  until  he  felt 
unsaved,  and,  in  case  of  death,  was  sure  that  he  should 
be  lost.  How  to  get  out  of  that  condition  and  reach  life 
he  did  not  know.  The  situation  grew  more  tense,  and  he 
was  troubled  by  day  and  night.  In  1869,  in  this  con- 
dition, he  made  a  vow,  that  from  henceforth  he  would 
go  as  the  Lord  directed,  cost  what  it  might.  To  com- 
plicate the  situation,  it  happened  that  just  at  this  time 
revival  meetings  were  started  in  Port  Elgin  by  the  Evan- 
gelical Association.  Several  of  his  members  attended 
and  were  convinced  that  their  religion  did  in  no  way 
measure  up  to  the  Bible  standard.  The  result  was  that 
some  of  the  brethren  got  into  great  difficulty,  so  much  so 


5  Most  of  the  information  for  this  was  received  from  Solomon  Eby,  in 
January,  1918:  some  from  a  short  account  of  the  origin  written  by  Isaac 
Moyer  to  the  Editor  of  the  Gospel  Banner,  in  1915,  and  some  in  conver- 
sation with  Daniel  Brenneman  and  a  few  others. 

41 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

that  they  went  to  their  minister  for  help,  only  to  find 
to  their  great  astonishment  that  he  was  in  the  same  con- 
dition. Eby  was  happily  converted  in  1869.  In  the 
spring  of  1870  prayer  meetings  were  started  and  held 
all  through  the  summer,  contrary  to  the  rules,  of  course. 
Following  this,  about  New  Year's  of  the  next  year,  a 
great  revival  broke  out,  and  almost  all  of  the  church 
members  and  a  few  outsiders  accepted  Christ  anew  and 
came  into  an  experience  where  they  realized  a  complete 
change  of  life.  Prayer  meetings  were  emphasized  more 
than  ever:  testimony  encouraged,  and  revival  meetings 
held.  Old  customs  were  disregarded,  and  anything  that 
would  promote  spiritual  life  adopted.  Religious  life  was 
simply  revolutionized.  Of  course,  the  news  spread  to 
Waterloo  County,  and  the  report  went  around  that  ' '  the 
church  in  Port  Elgin  all  went  Methodist. ' ' 

Three  delegates  from  Waterloo  County  were  sent  up 
to  investigate  the  trouble.  They  were  John  Baer,  Daniel 
Wismer,  and  probably  Enoch  Detweiler.6  These  men 
became  highly  taken  up  with  the  good  of  the  movement, 
and  encouraged  the  Port  Elgin  people  to  go  on,  returning 
a  rather  favorable  report  to  Waterloo.  The  attitude  in 
the  church,  however,  was  not  all  the  same.  Many  were 
in  favor,  and  many  decidedly  opposed,  while  some  tried 
just  to  hold  the  two  parties  together.  The  general  opin- 
ion, especially  among  the  leaders,  seems  to  have  been 
against  the  new  movement.  Bishop  Joseph  Hege,  from 
Waterloo,  was  called  up  to  baptize  a  number  who  had 
accepted  Christ  in  these  meetings  at  Port  Elgin  and  who 
had  been  instructed  in  the  discipline.  There  were  some 
rather  young,  but  all  were  baptized  as  they  gave  good 


6  The  authority   for  this  ataterrfent   is  the  paper  by   Isaac  Moyer,   men- 
tioned before. 

42 


UNITED  MENNONITES. 

confession  of  their  faith.  On  his  return,  Hege  found 
some  dissatisfaction  and  was  accused  of  baptizing  chil- 
dren. The  real  trouble,  however,  later  proved  to  be  over 
the  fact  that  prayer  meetings  were  allowed  rather  than 
infant  baptism. 

Before  the  Port  Elgin  trouble  was  all  settled,  difficulty 
arose  in  Waterloo  County.  Daniel  Wismer7  had  evi- 
dently had  an  experience  somewhat  similar  to  Solomon 
Eby's.  He  felt  that  he  should  do  more  practical  work, 
but  hardly  dared  break  with  the  church.  The  convic- 
tion grew  on  him  and  he  knew  that  he  must  do  something 
definite,  but  still  he  refused,  fearing  the  effects  of  such 
action.  In  tins  condition  he  was  taken  sick  and  grew 
worse,  until  all  hope  of  life  was  given  up.  Wismer 
promised  then  to  preach  and  take  up  the  work  he  knew 
he  should,  if  only  the  Lord  would  heal  him.  Before  long 
he  was  well,  but  still  delayed  taking  up  his  promised 
work.  Again  he  was  taken  sick,  and  again  he  promised 
and  became  well.  This  time  he  started  preaching:  held 
evening  services  and,  after  preaching  a  short  sermon, 
turned  the  meeting  into  a  prayer  meeting.  The  outcome 
was  that  quite  a  revival  broke  out,  and  a  number  were 
converted.  The  bishop  then  ordered  Wismer  to  instruct 
them  in  the  discipline  as  usual.  This  he  did,  and  when 
through,  reported  to  Hege.  Baptism  meant  acceptance 
of  the  candidate  by  the  church,  and  accordingly  it  was 
customary  to  propose  the  names  some  time  before  bap- 
tism, so  that  anyone  objecting  might  have  an  opportunity 
to  state  his  objection.  The  names  were  therefore  made 
known  in  the  enquiring  room,  and  the  majority  were 
opposed  to  their  acceptance  unless  they  should  refrain 


1  This    information    was    received    from   John    Troxel    in    January,    1918, 
Centerville,   Ontario,  and  from  the  letter  of  Isaac  Moyer. 

43 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

from  those  "new  things,"  as  they  called  the  prayer 
meetings.  Inasmuch  as  this  was  the  very  place  where 
most  of  them  had  been  converted,  they  refused  to  make 
any  such  promise.  Consequently  they  were  not  bap- 
tized. This  was  in  the  summer  of  1870,  and  the  whole 
proceeding  created  considerable  of  a  sensation  through- 
out the  entire  Canada  conference — so  much  so,  that 
several  special  conferences  were  called  beside  the  regular 
one.  The  majority,  however,  was  always  on  the  opposing 
side,  and  the  candidates  consequently  never  were  ac- 
cepted. Thus  matters  went  for  about  a  year,  when  it 
was  heard  that  Bishop  Lapp,  from  Clarence  Center, 
New  York,  had  said  that  he  would  baptize  the  candidates 
if  he  were  there.  Accordingly,  Deacon  Joseph  Snyder 
and  Abraham  Moyer  were  sent  to  get  him.  Lapp  came 
in  the  summer  of  1871,  and  the  converts,  who  had  stood 
for  over  a  year,  were  baptized  and  accepted  into  the 
church.  Bishop  Hege,  however,  was  not  fully  satisfied, 
and  made  the  remark :  ' '  Ich  will  sie  mal  in  ihrem  Wert 
steh  lasse. ' '  By  this  the  converts  judged  that  they  were 
not  entirely  accepted  by  him.  The  evening  meetings  and 
the  cottage  prayer  meetings  were  continued,  and  a  num- 
ber of  the  church  members  opened  their  doors  and  got  in 
trouble  over  their  salvation,  which  would  generally  re- 
sult in  their  experiencing  a  sound  conversion. 

Daniel  Wismer  and  Solomon  Eby,  of  course,  worked 
in  co-operation  considerably,  but  Wismer  was  not  willing 
to  go  as  far  in  some  things  as  Eby.  For  instance,  Eby 
favored  open  communion,  but  Wismer  could  not  accept 
it,  and  the  final  outcome  was,  that  Wismer  lost  interest  in 
the  movement  and  went  back  to  the  old  church.  Mose 
Erb  had  an  experience  somewhat  similar,  though  he  did 

44 


UNITED  MENNONITES. 

not  go  as  far  even  as  Wismer,  and  fell  back  in  line  with 
the  old  church  sooner.  This  movement  in  Waterloo  took 
place  simultaneously  with  the  Port  Elgin  movement, 
though  starting  a  little  later. 

Let  us  briefly  review  the  points  and  then  observe  the 
further  developments.  The  church  in  Port  Elgin,  in 
1871,  experienced  a  wonderful  revival,  and  the  members 
were  awakened  to  a  new  life  and  a  greater  activity,  adopt- 
ing in  their  enthusiasm  methods  not  approved  of  by  the 
church.  Following  the  outbreak  of  this,  similar  develop- 
ments occured  in  the  Waterloo  County  congregation.  So 
far,  however,  there  had  been  no  formal  break  with  the 
church,  though  the  innovation  of  the  -new  methods  was 
generally  disproved  of. 

The  next  step  of  interest  occurred  in  1872.  Prior  to 
Eby's  experience  of  conversion  in  1869,  he  had  had  a 
very  close  friend  in  one  Christ  Good,  who  had  some  time 
before  moved  to  Indiana.  It  was  now  Eby's  desire  that 
he  might  tell  this  old  friend  of  the  wonderful  experience 
he  had  received,  and  accordingly  left  Ontario  for  In- 
diana. This  was  in  1872,  and  while  there  he  met  Daniel 
Brenneman,  who  was  a  promising,  aggressive  young 
leader  in  the  Indiana  Conference.  This  meeting  with 
Brenneman  was  the  most  important  event  of  the  visit, 
as  it  finally  led  to  the  spreading  of  this  evangelical  move- 
ment to  Indiana.  Prom  this  time  on  Brenneman  and 
Eby  were  the  two  outstanding  leaders  of  the  Reformed 
Mennonites.  Eby  returned  to  Ontario  after  explaining 
the  Canadian  movement  to  Brenneman  and  arousing  an 
interest  in  him  to  investigate  it. 

Daniel  Brenneman  was  born  in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio, 
in  1834,  of  good  old  Mennonite  parentage,  and  reared 

45 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

in  the  church.  In  1855  he  was  converted,  and  in  the 
following  year,  at  twenty-two  years  of  age,  ordained  to 
preach.  Early  in  the  sixties  he  moved  to  Elkhart  County, 
Indiana,  where  he  spent  the  rest  of  his  life.  Immediately 
on  his  arrival  in  Indiana  he  was  recognized  as  a  leader. 
"He  was  a  man  of  commanding  presence,  forcible  and 
eloquent  in  the  pulpit,  apt  and  aggressive  in  Christian 
work,  a  champion  of  church  doctrines  and  a  good  mixer 
among  the  people."8  Little  wonder  that  he  became 
prominent  in  the  church.  In  1864,  the  year  of  his  arrival 
in  Indiana,  ' '  The  Herald  of  Truth ' '  was  started  by  John 
F.  Funk,  and  from  the  first  issue  Brenneman  was  a  fre- 
quent contributor.  This  shows  that  he  was  active  in 
church  work  and,  moreover,  in  good  standing  in  the 
church.  The  condition  of  the  church  in  Canada  has  been 
already  described,  and  the  situation  in  Indiana  was  sim- 
ilar. There  were  a  few  liberal  men  like  Brenneman,  but 
the  majority  were  conservative.  An  easy-going  attitude 
had  settled  on  the  people,  and  there  was  active  oppo- 
sition to  the  introduction  of  any  means  to  promote  a 
deeper  interest  in  soul  saving.  The  introduction  of  Eng- 
lish preaching  was  discountenanced,  though  some  pre- 
ferred English  to  German.  Brenneman  tried  preaching 
in  English,  but  was  refused  the  church  for  this  purpose, 
and  thereafter  held  his  English  services  in  school  houses. 
Using  more  than  one  part  in  singing  was  considered 
worldly.  Brenneman,  himself,  in  a  letter  explaining  the 
period,  says:  "Some  of  us  ministers  became  depressed 
and  discouraged  at  the  slow  progress  we  as  a  non-resist- 
ant church  were  making,  as  a  result  of  a  seeming  great 
lack  of  spiritual  energy  on  the  part  of  the  membership  in 


Hartzler  and   Kauffman,  Mennonite  Church  History,  p.  344. 

46 


UNITED  MENNONITES. 

general."9  It  was  under  these  conditions  that  Solomon 
Eby  appeared  from  Canada,  giving  such  glowing  ac- 
counts of  their  revival.  Brenneman  further  says,  in 
reference  to  the  stirring  events  taking  place  in  Canada : 
"Special  preaching  services  and  prayer  meetings  were 
held  with  most  encouraging  results.  Not  only  those  who 
had  never  made  any  profession  of  religion,  but  many 
of  the  supposed  staunch  members  of  the  church  began  to 
realize  their  lack  of  real  Bible  salvation  and,  in  true 
penitence  and  acknowledgment  of  their  sins  before  God, 
found  lasting  peace  and  joy  through  the  Holy  Ghost, 
through  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  began  openly 
to  testify  and  tell  of  the  great  things  the  Lord  did  for 
them,  and  many  of  them  became  shouting  happy  over 
their  new  found  treasure.  Hearing  of  these  things  tak- 
ing place  over  in  Canada,  several  of  us  ministers  here  in 
Indiana  concluded  to  go  over  and  investigate  for  our- 
selves as  to  the  wonderful  things  related,  the  sound 
thereof  having  spread  far  and  wide."  The  Indiana 
church,  in  general,  was  fearful  of  what  these  things 
might  lead  to,  and  refused  to  support  the  new  movement. 
There  were,  however,  two  ministers  ready  to  investi- 
gate the  situation  in  Canada.  In  1873,  Daniel  Brenne- 
man10 and  John  Krupp,  a  fellow  minister,  went  to  Can- 
ada to  ascertain  for  themselves  just  what  this  was  that 
had  broken  out  and  which  created  such  commotion.  They 
tried  to  do  this  in  as  open-minded  a  way  as  possible, 

9  This  letter  was  written  to  Rev.  J.  A.  Huffman  and  contains  a  synopsis 
of  the  events  leading-  to  Brenneman's  separation  from  the  Old  Mennonite 
Church.     It  is  dated  November  28,  1917. 

10  Much  of  the  following  information  regarding  Daniel  Brenneman  and 
the  Reformed  Mennonites  was  gotten  from  him  directly  in  a  visit  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1918;  some  from  the  letter  of  his  mentioned  above,  and  some  from 
Solomon  Eby,  in  a  visit  in  January,  1918. 

47 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

praying  that  they  might  not  be  misled  or  deceived.  After 
a  thorough  investigation  they  returned  with  a  rather  fa- 
vorable inclination  toward  the  methods  and  results  found 
in  Eby's  congregation.  The  ministers  at  home  ques- 
tioned them  quite  fully  on  their  return.  Krupp  spoke 
in  most  glowing  terms  of  the  wonderful  work  that  he 
thought  was  being  accomplished.  Brenneman,  however, 
knowing  that  these  things  would  not  be  received  with 
favor,  spoke  guardedly,  and  determined  to  make  one 
more  trip  of  investigation  before  committing  himself 
fully.  This  time,  about  a  year  later,  he  went  alone,  de- 
siring above  all  things  to  know  the  truth  in  the  matter 
that  he  might  support  the  right  side.  In  regard  to  this 
second  visit  he  says:  "Arriving  there  among  these  zeal- 
ous worshippers,  I  at  once  found  that  their  former  zeal 
had  by  no  means  abated,  that  under  the  preaching  of  the 
Word  souls  were  convicted  and  pressed  through  to  the 
King  at  about  every  service.  "What  could  I  say,  only  that 
this  is  the  Lord's  doing  and  marvellous  in  our  eyes." 
On  his  return  he  was  fully  decided  what  stand  to  take 
on  the  question. 

When  Brenneman  returned  the  second  time  from  Can- 
ada, the  first  news  to  greet  him  was  that  one  of  the  min- 
isters had  been  excommunicated  from  church  fellowship. 
This  was  John  Krupp,  and  with  surprise  he  went  at  once 
to  the  bishop  for  an  explanation.  Instead  of  getting  the 
information  immediately,  however,  he  was  told  to  come 
to  a  meeting  at  a  certain  time,  where  he  would  receive 
a  full  explanation  of  what  had  been  done  and  why.  At 
the  appointed  time  several  ministers  and  bishops  were 
assembled,  and  it  was  explained  that  Krupp  had  been 
excommunicated  "because  he  favored  protracted  meet- 
ings and  allowed  even  women  to  testify. ' '  The  next  move 

48 


UNITED  MENNONITES. 

was  to  propound  the  question:  "Now  are  you  all  satis- 
fied ? ' '  Each  man  replied  in  the  affirmative  until  it  came 
to  Brenneman,  who  was  the  last  to  respond.  "Breth- 
ren," he  answered,  "to  be  honest  before  God,  if  our  mem- 
bers do  nothing  worse  than  to  go  together  to  read  God's 
word,  to  sing  and  pray  and  thus  worship  God,  that  this 
should  give  us  a  just  reason  to  disown  them  as  members 
of  the  church,  I  candidly  cannot  see  it  that  way."  No 
one  made  any  comment  on  this  reply,  and  the  assembly 
was  dismissed.  Soon  after  (1874)  Brenneman  was  told 
that  he  had  been  excommunicated  also.  The  following 
are  the  charges  upon  which  the  excommunication  was 
based.11 

1.  For  leaving  the  church  and  supporting  an  excom- 
municated minister. 

2.  For  teaching  and  preaching  unscriptural  customs: 
(1  Tim.  2:11,  12;   1  Cor.  14:35). 

3.  For  causing  dissensions  and  working  disorderly  at 
home  and  abroad. 

Thus  one  of  the  most  promising  men  was  removed  from 
the  church.  Naturally  there  were  a  good  many  people 
who  supported  Brenneman,  and  these  separated  with 
him. 

Whether  the  above  named  charges  should  constitute 
a  sufficient  basis  for  excommunication  is  a  question  which 
naturally  arises.  The  answer  to  the  question  might  be 
different  now,  even  if  given  by  the  same  persons  or 
their  successors,  after  more  than  forty  years  of  progress 
and  changes. 


11  Hartzler  and  Kauffman.  Mennonite  Church  History,  p.  344.  But  in 
relation  to  these  charges,  J.  S.  Hartzler,  in  a  letter  to  Prof.  P.  E.  Whitmer, 
dated  April  13,  1918,  says:  "In  those  days  they  kept  no  records  and  our 
history  gives  only  what  we  could  get  from  him  (D.  Brenneman)  and  other 
brethren  in  both  branches  of  the  church." 

4  49 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

The  first  charge  was  based  upon  the  fact  that  the 
accused  had  dissented  from  the  action  of  the  church 
authorities  in  excommunicating  a  brother  minister  for 
favoring  protracted  meetings  and  allowing  women  to 
testify.  The  second  was  based  upon  the  charge  that  the 
accused  had  taught  and  preached  "  unscriptural  cus- 
toms. ' '  These  unscriptural  customs  were  the  practice  of 
prayer  meetings  and  revival  meetings,  but  particularly 
in  allowing  women  to  testify.  The  third  charge  was 
"causing  dissensions,"  etc.  This  "dissension"  natu- 
rally resulted  from  the  defense  of  a  brother  minister 
who  was  expelled  for  the  above  named  reasons  and  per- 
sistence in  the  conducting  of  services  of  a  nature  not 
approved  of  by  the  church  in  general.  There  were  ne 
charges  of  immoral  conduct,  and  the  intervening  years 
have  vindicated  him  who  was  held  in  error,  even  to  those 
who  faulted  him,  because  the  same  body  which  excom- 
municated him  now  practices  most  of  the  "customs" — em- 
phasizing experimental  religion,  conducting  prayer  meet- 
ings and  revival  meetings — which  at  that  time  seemed 
to  them  ' ' unscriptural. ' '  This  is  said  to  the  credit  of  this 
body.  Further,  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  there  were 
others  in  the  old  church  who  would  have  welcomed  some 
spiritual  aggressiveness,  but  the  church  as  a  whole,  rep- 
resented by  its  leaders,  was  not  ready  for  such  measures. 

The  difficulty  may  be  reduced  to  a  simple  sentence: 
It  was  the  result  which  naturally  occurs  when  there 
arises  a  man  in  the  midst  of  his  environment  who  is  a 
few  decades  ahead  of  his  contemporaries  in  spiritual 
enlightenment,  and  cannot  turn  back,  and  will  not  be 
tolerated  by  those  of  lesser  vision  who  are  in  authority. 

Some  divisions  are  exceedingly  unfortunate  and  the 
results  undesirable.    But  there  are  some  divisions  which 

50 


UNITED  MENNONITES. 

prove  a  blessing  both  to  the  seceders  and  those  seceded 
from.  This  division  appears  to  have  been  one  of  the 
latter  kind.  A  goodly  number  withdrew  with  Elder 
Daniel  Brenneman  who  had  been  excommunicated  and, 
as  subsequent  history  discloses,  a  spiritually  aggressive 
movement  was  the  result.  This  secession,  with  its  evan- 
gelistic results,  together  with  similar  seceding  groups, 
and  evangelistic  forces  remaining  within  the  church,  con- 
stituted a  challenge  to  the  older  body  of  Mennonites 
which  doubtless  contributed  much  to  the  bringing  about 
of  their  more  evangelistic  policy.  In  the  light  of  these 
facts,  the  whole  matter  has  proven  a  blessing  in  disguise 
and  has  been  providentially  overruled  for  the  good  of 
the  church  and  for  the  glory  of  God. 

While  Krupp  and  Brenneman  were  expelled  in  In- 
diana, events  of  importance  were  taking  place  in  Can- 
ada. Delegates  were  again  sent  to  inquire  of  Eby  whether 
there  would  be  any  chance  of  them  coming  back  to  the 
fold  and  the  good  old  ways  of  the  past.  In  reply  to 
this,  Eby  reminded  them  of  the  many  times  they  had 
talked  over  the  lack  of  vitality  in  the  church  and  had 
longed  for  something  to  quicken  the  spiritual  life,  and 
now,  he  asked,  when  they  had  found  the  very  thing  they 
were  seeking,  and  the  church  was  active  and  really  serv- 
ing the  Lord,  should  they  go  back  to  the  old  ways — it 
was  impossible.  The  delegates  then  brought  up  the  fact 
that  prayer  meetings  were  held,  fellowship  meetings  were 
encouraged  where  even  women  could  speak,  and  pro- 
tracted meetings  allowed,  and  then  wondered  aghast  if 
camp  meetings  would  be  started  next.  Eby's  only  re- 
sponse to  this  was  that,  when  camp  meetings  would  be 
found  as  beneficial  as  these  other  meetings,  they  would 
likely  be  held,  too.     The  delegates  reported,  and  soon 

51 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

afterward  occurred  the  regular  semi-annual  conference  at 
Eby  's  church12  in  Kitchener.  Here  charges  were  brought 
against  Eby  and  his  followers,  and  it  was  decided  that 
they  should  no  longer  be  considered  members  of  the 
church.  The  news  of  this  reached  the  Port  Elgin  church 
just  as  they  were  having  a  prayer  meeting,  and  though 
they  were  sorry  to  leave  the  old  church,  there  was  a  feel- 
ing of  liberty  that  was,  after  all,  rather  satisfactory.  The 
expelling  had  taken  place  on  Friday.  On  Saturday  there 
was  a  meeting  preparatory  to  the  communion  services  to 
be  on  the  next  day,  and  here  the  announcement  about 
the  expelled  members  was  repeated,  and  later  it  was 
reported  throughout  the  Canada  Conference.  Of  course, 
those  who  considered  themselves  expelled  stayed  away 
from  communion  when  the  time  for  that  came,  and  a 
special  communion  service  was  held  a  few  weeks  later 
at  Snyder's  church,  Bloomingdale,  by  Eby  and  Wismer. 
This  naturally  put  the  finishing  touch  on  their  excom- 
munication. Shortly  after  this  had  taken  place,  in  May, 
1874,  a  conference  was  called  in  Eby's  church,  and  all 
those  were  invited  "that  believe  in  a  present  salvation 
by  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  have  experienced  par- 
don of  their  sins  and  have  had  the  evidence  of  their 
acceptance  with  Christ."13  The  people  of  Eby's  and 
Brenneman's  congregations,  and  those  likeminded, 
united,  and  the  name  Reformed  Mennonites  adopted. 

United  Mennonites. 
So  far  we  have  seen  how  the  New  Mennonites  arose 
and  simultaneously  with  them  the  Reformed  Mennon- 


12  The  Old  Mennonite  Church  in  Kitchener  is  called  Eby's  church,  be- 
cause Bishop  Benjamin  Eby  donated  the  land  for  it  and  was  one  of  the 
main  supporters. 

13  Quoted  from  the  letter  by  Isaac  Moyer  mentioned  before. 

52 


UNITED  MENNONITES. 

ites,  both  for  reasons  almost  identical.  The  next  step 
was  the  union  of  these  two  bodies,  and  this  occurred  in 
1875,  the  year  following  the  organization  of  the  Re- 
formed Mennonites.  Several  of  the  leaders  of  the  two 
societies  were  acquainted  with  each  other,  and  through 
their  working  together  the  people  became  acquainted, 
and  a  desire  for  union  arose.  An  extract  from  the  min- 
utes of  the  union  conference  explains  how  this  was  ac- 
complished. "The  members  of  the  New  and  Reformed 
Mennonite  Societies  respectively  have  for  some  time  been 
anxious  that  a  union  of  those  two  bodies  should  take 
place.  And  with  this  object  in  view,  a  meeting  of  the 
ministers  and  others  interested  in  the  matter  was  called 
to  be  held  at  the  Snyder  Meeting  House  at  Blooming- 
dale,  in  Waterloo  County,  Ontario,  on  Tuesday,  March 
23rd,  A.  D.  1875. 

"This  conference,  composed  of  the  Brethren  John 
Bear,  Sen.,  Solomon  Eby,  Daniel  Wismer,  and  Noah 
Detweiler,  of  the  Reformed  Mennonite  Society,  and  John 
H.  Steckley,  Samuel  Sherk,  John  McNally,  and  Peter 
Geiger,  of  the  New  Mennonite  Society,  together  with 
many  lay  members  of  both  bodies,  met  at  the  above  place 
and  date." 

It  is  interesting  to  note  further  that,  "A  joint  report 
of  the  committees  of  the  respective  bodies,  which  had 
previously  met  and  agreed  on  a  basis  of  union  was 
handed  in  which  read  as  follows :  '  That  we  agree  on  the 
Word  of  God  as  contained  in  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ments and  a  synopsis  of  the  Word  of  God  as  contained 
in  the  eighteen  articles  of  the  Confession  of  Faith  drawn 
up  by  the  Union  Conference  held  at  Dort,  Holland, 
April  21,  1632,  as  a  basis  of  union.'  "  It  was  then  agreed 

53 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

that  the  name  United  Mennonites  should  be  adopted  for 
the  purpose  of  denominational  distinction. 

This  completes  the  first  stage  in  the  growth  of  the 
Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ.  Two  scattered,  unorgan- 
ized bodies  were  brought  together  into  a  single,  unified 
body.  The  first  noticeable  characteristic  of  these  Men- 
nonites, in  distinction  from  other  Mennonites,  is  their 
evangelical  character.  This  is  shown  in  the  following 
resolutions,  passed  at  the  first  conference : 

"Resolved,  That  no  person  be  received  into  the  church 
except  those  who  can  testify  that  they  have  found  peace 
with  God  in  the  forgiveness  of  their  sins  through  faith 
in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

"Since  we  believe  that  protracted  meetings  are  es- 
pecially beneficial  means  to  bring  sinners  to  repentance 
and  conversion,  therefore 

"Resolved,  That  our  ministers  make  use  of  such  means 
to  gain  such  end. 

"Resolved,  That  Sunday  schools  shall  be  organized 
and  supported  by  all  our  power. 

"Resolved,  That  prayer  meetings  and  fellowship  meet- 
ings are  necessary  means  to  sustain  the  members  of  the 
flock  and  to  further  them  in  their  growth  in  grace. ' ? 

Other  noticeable  distinctions  are  the  adoption  of  the 
itinerant  system  for  .ministers  and  the  encouragement  of 
missionary  work.  Another  is  the  opposition  to  the  use 
of  spirituous  liquors  and  tobacco. 

The  attitude  on  most  of  these  questions  was  determined 
by  the  idea  of  conversion.  The  prevalent  idea  among 
Mennonites  had  largely  been  growth  in  a  Christian  home, 
followed  by  a  study  of  the  Articles  of  Faith,  and  then 
baptism.  Instead  of  this  was  substituted  a  personal, 
definite  act,  whereby  Cod  distinctly  forgave  the  sins  of 

54 


UNITED  MENNONITES. 

the  man.  He  was  born  again.  Every  person  was  ex- 
pected to  "seek"  until  he  definitely  experienced  this 
change  of  heart.  Following  this  experience  came  a  won- 
derful peace  or  joy  that  was  expressed  in  various  ways. 
After  the  sins  were  once  forgiven,  it  was  not  expected 
that  a  man  would  deliberately  sin  any  more.  Whatever 
may  be  said  against  this  idea  of  conversion  as  a  definite, 
conscious  experience  of  forgiveness,  it  certainly  did  pro- 
duce earnest,  live  Christians,  supremely  interested  in  the 
cause  of  Christ.  It  was  that  which  was  needed  by  those 
of  that  day,  and  never  will  cease  to  be  essential  to  the 
Christian  life  and  to  the  building  up  of  the  true  Church 
of  Christ. 


55 


CHAPTER  III. 

Elder  Solomon  Eby. 

(Biographical  Sketch.) 

It  was  on  May  the  15th,  1834,  in  Waterloo  County, 
Ontario,  that  Solomon  Eby  was  born.  He  was  the  son 
of  Mennonite  parents,  and  united  with  the  Mennonite 
Church  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years.  His  education  was 
received  in  the  public  schools,  and  although  he  speaks 
of  it  as  "very  limited,"  it  served  him  well;  for  he  is 
recognized  as  one  of  the  foremost  leaders  in  the  early 
Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ  movement. 

On  the  17th  day  of  June,  1855,  he  was  married  to 
Catirine  Shantz,  in  Bruce  County,  Ontario.  Their  mar- 
riage was  blessed  with  a  family  of  twelve  children. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-four  (1858)  he  was  ordained  to 
the  ministry  in  the  old  Mennonite  Church,  and  served 
as  a  minister  in  that  connection  for  fourteen  years.  He 
testifies  that  he  was  not  converted  until  eleven  years 
after  he  was  ordained  to  the  ministry  (1869),  and  that 
his  conversion  took  place  in  Port  Elgin,  Bruce  County, 
Ontario. 

After  his  conversion,  Elder  Eby  became  a  zealous 
advocate  of  the  necessity  and  possibility  of  a  definite, 
conscious,  religious  experience,  which  results  in  deliver- 
ance from  sin  and  gives  joy  and  assurance.  This  he 
professed  and  preached.  Naturally  this  attitude  toward 
the  experience  of  conversion  made  him  the  logical  leader 
of  such  who,  like  him,  had  come  into  the  experience  dur- 
ing the  year  1869,  the  year  of  the  "great  revival,"  and 

56 


ELDEK  SOLOMON  EBY. 


ELDER  SOLOMON  EBY. 

the  following  years.  Being  in  advance  of  the  rank  and 
file  of  the  church  of  his  day,  he  could  not  be  tolerated, 
and  was  excommunicated  in  the  year  1872,  together  with 
all  those  who  adhered  to  this  faith. 

When  the  new  organization  was  effected,  which  later 
became  known  as  The  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ 
Church,  Elder  Eby  filled  an  important  place  for  a  long 
time.  For  eighteen  years  he  was  Presiding  Elder  in 
the  Ontario  Conference,  and  for  fourteen  years  served 
as  pastor.  The  pastorates  he  held  were:  Breslau,  Elm- 
wood,  Bethel,  Markham,  and  Kitchener  (then  Berlin) 
Circuits.  He  was  a  member  of  many  General  Confer- 
ences. He  retired  from  active  work  in  the  year  1906 
on  account  of  ill-health.  A  year  later  the  Lord  healed 
him  in  a  remarkable  way,  and  he  testifies  that  he  has 
been  in  excellent  health  until  this  time,  although  now 
eighty-six  years  of  age. 

During  the  period  of  his  active  career  he  was  a  loyal 
advocate  and  able  exponent  of  the  teachings  and  prac- 
tices of  the  church  which  he  helped  to  found,  including 
the  doctrine  of  sanctification  as  a  second  definite  work 
of  grace,  subsequent  to  regeneration  and  simultaneous 
with  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  It  was  sometime 
prior  to  the  year  1912  when  he  became  unsettled  in  his 
position  in  relation  to  the  above  named  doctrine,  and 
definitely  sought  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
Whether  or  not  his  doctrinal  position  was  changed  by 
the  "Pentecostal"  agitation  which  swept  through  the 
country  during  those  years,  it  is  evident  that  his  change 
of  attitude  to  the  doctrine  of  sanctification  and  the  bap- 
tism of  the  Holy  Spirit  came  during  the  years  of  the  so- 
called  "Pentecostal"  movement.  In  his  written  state- 
ment, submitted  to  the  writer  of  this  sketch,  he  professes 

57 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

that  he  "was  sanctified  when  he  received  Christ  (evi- 
dently meaning  his  conversion),  and  was  baptized  in 
the  Holy  Ghost  and  fire  on  January  31,  1912."  This 
doctrinal  position  being  averse  to  the  position  held  by 
the  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ  Church,  Elder  Eby 
withdrew  from  its  membership,  adhering  to  the  "Pente- 
costal" movement.  Although  this  has  severed  his  re- 
lation from  the  church  which  he  assisted  in  founding, 
and  to  which  he  gave  so  much  of  his  life,  he  has  never 
ceased  to  be  reverenced  as  a  father  in  Israel  and  honored 
as  one  of  the  founders  of  the  church. 


58 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Formation   of  the   Evangelical  United 
Mennonites. 

In  the  preceding  chapters  we  have  seen  the  beginning 
of  the  Anabaptists,  some  of  whom  became  Mennonites. 
After  various  fortunes  in  the  Old  World,  many  of  these 
people  emigrated  to  America,  first  settling  in  Pennsyl- 
vania and  later  spreading  west  and  north.  The  condi- 
tions in  these  churches  became  unfavorable  for  agres- 
sive,  spiritual  work,  and  caused  many  who  wished  for 
greater  freedom  and  new  methods  to  be  denied  church 
fellowship.  So  there  appeared  in  several  places  evan- 
gelical parties.  Several  of  these  in  Canada,  who  hap- 
pened to  be  acquainted  with  each  other,  became  known 
as  New  Mennonites,  while  others  adopted  the  name  Re- 
formed Mennonites.  The  interesting  point  here  is,  that 
they  arose  from  similar  causes;  were,  in  fact,  all  a 
single  movement;  and,  accordingly,  it  was  but  natural 
that  when  they  met  each  other  a  union  resulted.  Thus  the 
United  Mennonites  came  into  being,  bringing  togethsr 
evangelical  sects  from  Canada  and  Indiana. 

But  similar  parties  had  been  developing  in  Pennsyl- 
vania and  Ohio :  in  Pennsylvania,  from  Mennonite  stock ; 
in  Ohio,  from  the  River  Brethren,  who  were  very  much 
like  the  Mennonites  in  many  respects.  Reference  to  the 
appendices  at  the  end  will  present  these  movements  in 
graphic  manner  It  is  the  purpose  of  this  chapter  to 
trace  the  origin  and  growth  of  the  Evangelical  Mennon- 
ites of  Pennsylvania  and  their  union  with  the  United 

59 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Mennonites  in  1879.    The  following  chapter  will  take  up 
the  Brethren  in  Christ,  who  united  a  few  years  later. 

United  Mennonites. 

Before  taking  up  the  Evangelical  Mennonites,  a  little 
should  be  said  regarding  the  United  Mennonites  and  their 
growth  during  the  period  of  1875  to  1879.  Solomon 
Eby  was  elected  Presiding  Elder  over  the  Canada  Con- 
ference and  Daniel  Brenneman  over  the  United  States 
Conference,  there  being  two  conferences  at  that  time. 
There  were  ten  elders  or  ministers,  three  probationers 
and  three  deacons  in  the  whole  church.  Any  man,  how- 
ever, in  the  future,  who  felt  he  had  a  call  to  preach, 
could  make  it  known,  and  would  be  given  a  trial.  The 
resolution  providing  for  this  was  adopted  at  the  first 
conference,  and  reads  as  follows: 

"Resolved,  That  in  the  selecting  of  a  minister,  the 
church  shall  earnestly  be  exhorted  to  prayer  that  the 
Lord  of  the  harvest  may  send  forth  laborers  into  His 
harvest  (Matt.  9:38).  And  if  a  brother  have  convic- 
tions that  he  has  a  call  from  the  Lord  to  preach  the 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  (Eph.  4: 11;  Heb.  5:  4)  he  shall, 
if  after  examination,  he  can  be  considered  as  possessing 
the  necessary  qualifications  ( 1  Tim.  3 :  23 ;  Tit.  1:7)  be 
permitted  to  serve  a  probation  term.  After  which,  if 
it  be  evident  that  the  work  of  the  ministry  be  entrusted 
to  him  of  the  Lord  (1  Cor.  9:2;  2  Cor.  3:23;  1  Tim. 
3:10  and  5:22),  he  shall  be  ordained  and  authorized 
to  officiate  in  all  the  duties  devolving  upon  a  gospel 
minister  (Acts  6:6)." 

This  is  important,  as  it  is  a  radical  departure  from 
the  method  of  the  old  church,  and  allowed  any  worthy 
man,   who   had   convictions   to   preach   and   whom   the 

60 


EVANGELICAL  UNITED  MENNONITES. 

church  considered  qualified,  to  enter  the  ministry.  Pro- 
vision was  made  for  annual  conferences,  beside  the  Gen- 
eral Conference,  which  was  to  meet  every  four  years. 

Probably  the  most  important  event  of  the  period  was 
the  starting  of  a  church  paper — the  Gospel  Banner — 
thus  providing  for  intercommunication  between  congre- 
gations, and  welding  them  more  firmly  together.  The 
first  issue  appeared  July,  1878.  The  need  had  long  been 
felt,  and  a  paper,  The  Gospel  Messenger,  was  started  in 
Canada  about  a  year  prior,  but  after  a  single  issue 
appeared,  it  died  for  lack  of  support,  Daniel  Brenne- 
man  felt  that  a  church  paper  was  possible,  and  offered 
to  assume  the  responsibilities  of  a  monthly  paper  for 
a  period  of  six  months.  This  offer  was  considered  from 
various  angles  at  the  Canadian  Annual  Conference  of 
1878,  and  a  resolution  passed  finally,  "that  D.  Brenne- 
man  will  proceed  at  once  with  the  editing  of  a  church 
paper,  called  the  Gospel  Banner,  to  be  published  at 
Goshen,  Indiana."  At  the  end  of  the  time  the  income 
did  not  quite  reach  the  expenses,  but  even  this  was 
regarded  as  well  done.  The  paper  was  published 
monthly  until  the  end  of  1879,  having  about  one  thou- 
sand subscribers  for  the  English  edition  and  five  hundred 
for  the  German.  After  this  it  was  published  semi- 
monthly for  a  while,  and  then  weekly. 

The  exact  number  of  accessions  to  the  church  during 
the  four  years  is  difficult  to  ascertain,  but  there  were 
probably  about  two  hundred  a  year1  The  church  con- 
tinued active  and  propagated  her  beliefs  with  great  zeal. 


1  There  are  no  definite  statistics  on  this  point  until  1878.  At  the  Can- 
ada Conference  of  that  year,  as  reported  in  the  Gospel  Banner,  there  were 
135  accessions  in  Canada,  while  Daniel  Brenneman  reported  "about  100" 
for  the  United  States,  making;  a  total  of  somewhat  over  200  for  that  year. 
It  is  not  likely  that  this  was  abnormal. 

61 


MBNNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Eby,  and  Brenneman  especially,  made  many  trips  over 
the  field,  and  in  visiting  Pennsylvania  became  acquainted 
with  the  Evangelical  Mennonites.  A  strong  friendship 
soon  sprang  up  which  led  eventually  to  a  union  in  1879 
between  the  United  Mennonites  and  the  Evangelical 
Mennonites. 

Evangelical  Mennonites. 

It  has  been  noted  before  that  the  earliest  Mennonite 
settlers  came  to  Pennsylvania.  Here  the  first  settlement 
was  made  at  Germantown  in  1683,  and  the  first  church 
built  in  1708,  having  a  membership  of  forty-four.  This 
congregation  gradually  lost  in  numbers,  while  others 
grew.  The  Franconia  Conference  was  the  earliest,  and 
by  the  nineteenth  century  had  about  fifteen  congrega- 
tions. The  Lancaster  conference  district  came  later,  and 
by  the  twentieth  century  had  some  eighty  congregations. 
It  is  with  the  Franconia  conference  that  we  are  especially 
concerned.  In  this  conference  there  were  two  noticeable 
schisms,  the  Funk  and  the  Oberholtzer  schisms;  in  the 
Lancaster  Conference  one,  the  Herr  schism.  These 
schisms  have  been  related  in  Chapter  I. 

The  only  schism  with  which  we  need  to  reckon  here 
is  the  Oberholtzer  schism,  which  occurred  in  the  Fran- 
conia Conference  in  1847.  This  is  important,  because 
it  is  the  point  of  departure  of  the  Evangelical  Mennon- 
ites from  the  old  church. 

It  must  be  admitted  that  the  Pennsylvania  Mennon- 
ites were  rather  conservative  in  religious  as  well  as  sec- 
ular affairs.  The  conditions  given  before  apply  here 
also.  Conservatism  in  religion  was  shown  by  the  oppo- 
sition to  all  new  methods  of  work — specifically  prayer 
meetings,  evening  meetings,  Sunday  Schools,  protracted 

62 


EVANGELICAL  UNITED  MENNONITES. 

meetings,  and  English  preaching.  These  are  all  accepted 
by  the  church  at  present,  but  were  actively  opposed  un- 
til the  latter  part  of  the  nineteenth  century.  Conserva- 
tism in  secular  things  was  shown  by  the  opposition  to 
participation  in  political  issues  and  the  adoption  of  any 
new  custom  in  general.  This  is  well  brought  out  in  an 
article  from  the  pen  of  Henry  A.  Hunsicker,  quoted 
by  Dr.  Smith  in  the  Mennonites  of  America,  from  the 
Mennonite  Year  Book  and  Almanac  for  1907.2  ' '  It  was 
about  this  time  when  linen  covers  on  dearborns  (car- 
riages) were  giving  way  to  black  oilcloth  covers.  When 
my  father  availed  himself  of  a  black  oilcloth  cover  for 
his  dearborn  he  was  charged  with  violating  a  long  es- 
tablished custom  of  the  Mennonites  in  making  such  a 
change;  and  when  a  year  or  so  later  he  had  elliptic 
springs  put  on  the  running  gears  of  his  carriage,  he 
sinned  even  more  grievously.  Then,  too,  came  the  charge 
that  his  children  did  not  conform  to  the  style  and  dress 
of  the  meeting.  .  .  .  Other  matters  came  up,  such  as 
forbidding  marrying  outside  of  the  denomination,  at- 
tendance on  civil  duties,  such  as  voting  at  election,  re- 
sorting to  process  of  law  to  recover  property,  favoring 
liberal  education,  etc. ' '  It  was  inevitable  that  this  ultra 
conservatism,  if  persisted  in,  should  some  day  be  the 
cause  of  trouble. 

John  H.  Oberholtzer'  was  born  in  Montgomery 
County,  Pennsylvania,  in  1808,  and  began  teaching 
school  at  sixteen  years  of  age,  continuing  this  until  called 
to  preach  in  1842.  In  that  year  he  was  ordained  in  the 
Swamp  Mennonite  Church,  in  Milford,  Bucks  County, 
by  Bishop  Samuel  Musselman.    Five  years  after  that  he 

2  Smith,  Mennonites  of  America,  p.  299. 

3  Considerable  of  Oberholtzer's  biography  is  given  in  his  Verantwortung 
und   Erlaeuternng,   1860. 

63 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

found  himself  out  of  the  church.  The  reason  for  this 
was  not  merely  stubborness  and  worldliness,  as  the  old 
church  thought,  but  rather  a  decided  difference  in  spirit. 
Oberholtzer  had  more  than  an  ordinary  education,  and 
possessed  at  the  same  time  a  liberal-mindedness  and  ag- 
gression that  was  not  satisfied  with  harking  to  the  past 
for  standards.  At  the  same  time  he  may  have  been  a 
little  insistent  with  some  of  his  demands.  Trouble  came 
when  Oberholtzer,  seeing  no  reasonable  ground  for  wear- 
ing the  regulation  minister's  coat  of  a  prescribed  cut, 
continued  to  wear  his  usual  dress.  To  him  this  breach 
of  custom  meant  nothing,  but  to  many  of  his  brother 
ministers  approving  of  it  would  mean  a  betrayal  of  their 
faith.  Quarrel  over  this  continued  for  several  years, 
when  a  new  grievance  was  added.  The  conference  had 
kept  no  minutes  of  proceedings,  nor  had  there  been  a 
constitution.  Oberholtzer  drafted  a  constitution  and 
presented  it  to  the  conference  in  the  spring  of  1847.  The 
first  time  it  was  turned  down,  but  he  presented  it  again 
in  the  fall.  By  this  time  affairs  had  reached  a  critical 
stage,  and  Oberholtzer,  along  with  several  other  minis- 
ters who  shared  his  views,  was  suspended.  In  October 
of  the  same  year  they  met  and  organized  a  conference 
of  their  own. 

Oberholtzer  took  considerable  interest  in  the  cause  of 
Mennonitism  in  general,  and  worked  for  a  union  of  all 
on  a  common  basis.  He  started  a  paper  in  1852  under 
the  name  "Religioser  Botschaf ter. "  This  did  much  to 
facilitate  discussion  of  the  subject,  and  finally,  in  1860, 
the  first  "General  Conference"  of  Mennonites  of  North 
America  was  held.  Before  this  year,  however,  there  was 
a  split  in  Oberholtzer 's  party,  and  this  is  what  inter- 
ests us  most  at  present. 

64 


EVANGELICAL  UNITED  MENNONITES. 

When  Oberholtzer  left  the  old  church  there  were  sev- 
eral who  accompanied  him.  The  ministers  founding  the 
"New  School  Mennonite  Conference"  were  John  Hun- 
sicker,  William  Landis,  John  H.  Oberholtzer,  Abraham 
Hunsicker,  Christian  Clemmer,  and  Joseph  Schantz.  At 
a  succeeding  conference  the  following  additional  minis- 
ters entered:  Israel  Beidler,  William  Schelly,  Moses 
Gottschall,  and  Henry  G.  Johnson.4  Beside  these  several 
deacons  were  found  among  the  progressive  faction.  Prac- 
tically the  whole  Swamp  Mennonite  congregation  stood 
by  Oberholtzer,  who  was  their  preacher  at  the  time.  In 
the  organization  of  the  new  conference,  Oberholtzer  was 
very  prominent  and  was  chairman  for  many  years.  Just 
how  many  congregations  were  in  the  conference  it  is  hard 
to  ascertain;  but  by  1887  thirteen  had  joined  the  Gen- 
eral Conference  Movement.5  These  were  in  all  prob- 
ability favorable  to  Oberholtzer  and  had  followed  him 
in  1847  or  soon  after.  It  is  not  necessary  to  list  these 
here,  but  one  of  them  in  Upper  Milford  Township,  Le- 
high County,  is  the  scene  of  the  next  division. 

The  Upper  Milford  congregation  had  chosen  John 
Schantz  as  their  minister  in  1828.  His  son,  Joseph,  was 
chosen  likewise  in  1844.  When  Oberholtzer  was  sus- 
pended in  1847,  Joseph  Schantz  was  one  of  his  adherents, 
and  the  congregation  an  "Oberholtzer  congregation." 
Before  long  another  minister  was  needed  and,  accord- 
ingly, William  Gehman  was  chosen  to  serve.  Gehman  was 
born  in  1827  and  had  been  raised  a  German  Lutheran; 
but  after  his  conversion  he  joined  the  Mennonites.  In 
1849  he  was  selected  both  by  election  and  by  lot  to  serve 


4  Daniel   K.    Cassel,   Geschichte   der   Mennoniten,    1890,   p.    117. 

5  Verhandlung   dcr   Allgemeinen    Konferenz   der   Mennoniten    von    Nord- 
Amerika. 

5  65 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

as  minister  for  the  Upper  Milford  congregation.  It  be- 
came customary  to  alternate  ministers,  Gehman  preach- 
ing then  half  the  time. 

This  continued  for  some  time  until  it  happened,  in 
1853,  that  several  of  the  ministers,  of  whom  William 
Gehman  seemed  the  leader,  along  with  several  of  their 
members,  started  the  holding  of  private  prayer  meetings. 
The  first  Church  Discipline  of  the  Evangelical  Mennon- 
ite  Society  gives  a  short  account  of  their  history,  and  in 
speaking  of  these  prayer  meetings,  says:  "Many  that 
attended  the  meetings  became  awakened  and  deeply  con- 
victed of  their  sinful  condition,  found  peace  in  the 
wounds  of  Jesus,  and  were  transplanted  into  the  free- 
dom of  the  children  of  God.  In  order  to  carry  on  this 
work  properly,  they  appointed  Sabbath  afternoon  and 
evening  to  be  spent  with  one  another  in  prayer  and  re- 
ligious exercises,  and  also  prayer  meetings  to  be  held 
once  during  the  week,  and  family  worship  to  be  held  in 
every  family,  as  also  public  protracted  meetings  where 
the  Word  was  for  a  time  preached  every  evening — in 
purity  and  power."6  In  the  other  cases  that  we  have 
noted,  prayer  meetings  were  held  in  opposition  to  the 
decrees  of  the  church,  but  in  this  case  it  was  different. 
In  1853,  the  same  year  that  these  meetings  were  started, 
the  bishops,  in  conference  at  Skippach,  granted  the 
privilege  of  holding  prayer  meetings.  Further,  Geh- 
man talked  the  matter  over  with  Oberholtzer,  who  was 
the  main  bishop,  and  explained  how  the  meetings  were 
conducted.  Oberholtzer 's  reply  was  that  "surely  no  one 
could  forbid  that."7  The  subject  was  also  discussed 
with   Moses  Gottschall,   bishop   at   Schwenksville,    who 


6  Doctrine  of  Faith  and  Church  Discipline  of  the   Evangelical   Mennon- 
ite  Society   of   East  Pennsylvania,   1867,  p.  3. 

66 


EVANGELICAL  UNITED  MENNONITES. 

agreed  that  they  were  a  good  thing.  With  this  permis- 
sion the  meetings  were  continued. 

The  next  move  came  in  the  year  1856,  when  a  confer- 
ence was  again  held  at  Skippach.  Toward  the  close  of 
the  conference  Oberholtzer,  who  was  chairman,  an- 
nounced that  it  was  now  time  to  discuss  prayer  meet- 
ings ;  but  since  the  time  was  too  short  to  allow,  he  wished 
that  Gehman  would  consent  to  leave  that  to  a  meeting 
of  the  bishops  on  the  following  day.  There  being  no 
objection,  the  matter  was  passed  over.  A  few  days  after 
this  Joseph  Schantz,  who  has  been  mentioned  before  as 
a  fellow  minister  of  Gehman 's  at  Upper  Milford,  came 
to  him  and  brought  the  decision  of  the  bishops :  namely, 
that  prayer  meetings  would  not  be  allowed  in  the  future. 
Gehman,  however,  refused  to  accept  the  report,  and  the 
meetings  were  continued. 

The  affair  continued  this  way  until  the  following 
spring.  In  May  a  conference  of  the  whole  church  was 
held  at  Springtown,  in  Bucks  County.  Here  Oberholtzer 
was  again  chairman,  and  during  the  conference  he 
brought  up  an  alleged  saying  of  Gehman 's,  that  the  de- 
cision of  the  bishops  in  regard  to  prayer  meetings  was 
"unevangelical. "  He  asked  the  people  to  vote  on  this 
question  and  announced  that  all  those  voting  that  the 
decision  of  the  bishops  was  not  "evangelical"  would  be 
considered  dropped  from  church  membership,  wTith  all 
their  adherents.  Then  followed  a  lengthy  discussion, 
after  which  the  vote  was  taken  and  was,  of  course,  in 

7  Oberholtzer's  ideas  on  prayer  meeting?  are  given  in  his  Verantwortung 
und  Erlaeuterung,  1860.  See  chapter  on  Betversammlung,  p.  43.  He  did 
not  oppose  them  or  think  them  wrong  as  some  claimed  him  to  do,  nor  could 
he  find  anything  in  the  Bible  contrary  to  them.  His  idea  seems  more  that 
a  Christian  should  be  in  a  prayerful  attitude  all  the  time  and  private 
prayer  meetings,  where  several  assemble  for  the  purpose  of  prayer  only, 
are    useless.  on 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

favor  of  the  bishops  and  against  these  private  prayer 
meetings.  The  adherents  of  prayer  meetings  were,  how- 
ever, not  ready  to  give  them  up,  and  it  accordingly  was 
announced  after  conference  that,  since  private  prayer 
meetings  had  been  forbidden,  they  would  henceforth  be 
public  prayer  meetings.  With  this,  all  the  advocates  of 
prayer  meetings,  twenty-four  in  number,  were  expelled. 
In  the  fall  of  the  same  year,  in  a  congregational  meet- 
ing at  Zionsville,  Gehman  was  refused  the  privilege  of 
preaching  in  the  old  church  by  a  vote  of  twenty-five  to 
twenty-four.  He  had  claimed  this  on  the  ground  that 
he  had  preached  half  the  time  before,  and  a  good  many 
of  the  congregation  supported  him.  A  little  difficulty 
then  followed  over  the  use  of  the  church,  but  was  finally 
settled  by  Gehman  and  his  party  agreeing  to  give  up  all 
right  to  the  church  in  return  for  $300  and  the  privilege 
of  holding  funerals  there  and  burying  in  the  old  church 
yard.  A  new  church,  which  still  stands,  was  built  in 
1858. 

The  first  conference  of  ministers  was  held  September 
24,  1858,  in  the  house  of  David  Musselman.  Here  such 
articles  of  faith  and  rules  as  were  deemed  necessary  for 
the  small  society  were  laid  down.  The  following  are 
given  as  present  at  this  conference:8 

ELDERS  PRESENT  DEACONS  PRESENT 

William  N.  Schelly  David  Gehman 

William  Gehman  Joseph  Schneider 

Jacob  Gottschall 

PREACHERS   OF   THE   WORD   PRESENT 

David  Henning  Henry  Diehl. 


8  Doctrine  of  Faith  and  Church  Discipline  of  the  Evangelical  Mennonite 
Society,   1867.     p.  4. 

68 


EVANGELICAL  UNITED  MENNONITES. 

A  second  conference  was  held  in  November,  1859, 
and  thereafter  semi-annually  in  June  and  November. 

The  second  church  to  be  built  was  at  Coopersburg,  and 
the  next  at  Quakertown.  The  movement  continued  to 
spread,  and  churches  were  built  in  various  parts  of  East- 
ern Pennsylvania. 

At  the  conference  held  in  November,  1865,  a  commit-, 
tee  consisting  of  David  Henning,  William  Gehman,  Eu- 
sebius  Hershey  and  Joseph  L.  Romig  was,  appointed  to 
draw  up  a  Doctrine  of  Faith  and  Church  Discipline. 
This  was  done  and  published  in  1867.  That  the  new 
society  still  considered  themselves  Mennonites  is  shown 
by  the  following  statement  taken  from  the  introduction 
to  the  Doctrine  of  Faith :  "It  is  our  sincere  wish  to  take 
the  simple  and  secure  Bible  way,  as  Christ,  the  Apostles, 
and  Menno  Simon  have  taught. ' ' 

In  regard  to  church  doctrine,  they  accepted  the  regu- 
lar orthodox  views  of  God,  Christ,  the  Holy  Spirit,  and 
Man,  and  the  Mennonite  position  on  the  washing  of  the 
Saints'  Feet,  Non-resistance,  Oaths,  Excommunication, 
and  Shunning.  Several  doctrines  had  more  or  less  of 
the  new  in  them.  Members  were  to  be  admitted  only 
when  they  ' '  have  acknowledged  themselves  sinners,  have 
brought  forth  fruits  meet  for  repentance,  have  received 
the  forgiveness  of  their  sins  through  faith  in  the  precious 
merits  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  have  been  baptized."  Con- 
siderable emphasis  was  placed  on  a  definite  conversion, 
with  the  assurance  accompanying  it.  The  calling  of 
ministers  happens  in  two  ways:  the  Godly  and  the  Ec- 
clesiastical. That  is,  some  are  called  directly  by  God, 
others  through  the  interposition  of  pious  men.  Thus  the 
church  might  call  her  ministers,  or  if  they  felt  called  of 
God,  they  could  make  it  known  and  would  be  given  a 

69 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

trial.  There  were  to  be  three  kinds  of  officers:  Elders, 
ordinary  Preachers,  and  Deacons.  In  order  to  spread 
the  work  it  was  provided  that  all  the  members,  preach- 
ers and  deacons  should  take  an  active  interest  in  the 
"missionary  cause."  That  did  not  necessarily  mean 
foreign  missions.  In  those  days  when  travel  was  not 
quite  so  convenient  and  when  the  world  was  so  large,  a 
man  was  considered  a  missionary  if  he  made  a  trip  of 
thirty  miles  to  hold  meetings.  This  was  the  missionary 
work  that  was  carried  on — going  into  fields  where  no 
religious  opportunities  were  presented  to  the  people  and 
holding  meetings  to  interest  "outsiders"  in  religion. 
This  work  was  in  the  hands  of  a  special  Missionary  So- 
ciety, with  its  own  constitution  and  officers. 

Such  was  the  doctrine  and  work  of  the  early  Evan- 
gelical Mennonites.  There  were  at  that  time  (1860-65) 
four  elders:  David  Henning,  William  Gehman,  Euse- 
bius  Hershey,  and  William  Schelly;  five  preachers: 
Henry  Diehl,  Abel  Strawn,  John  Musselman,  Abraham 
Kauffman  and  Joseph  L.  Romig;  and  three  deacons: 
David  Gehman,  Joseph  Schneider,  and  Aaron  Unangst. 

Evangelical  United  Mennonites. 

Between  the  years  1865  and  1875  there  is  very  little 
to  record.  New  ministers  entered  the  work  and  more 
fields  were  opened  up.  About  the  year  1875  Solomon 
Eby  and  Daniel  Brenneman  visited  Pennsylvania  and 
became  acquainted  with  the  Evangelical  Mennonites,  and 
almost  immediately  the  thought  of  union  occurred.  In 
1878  the  first  number  of  the  "Gospel  Banner"  appeared, 
and  there  was  more  or  less  discussion  on  the  subject  of 
union  in  the  succeeding  issues.  D.  U.  Lambert  was  sent 
by  the  United  Mennonites  of  the  United  States  as  a  fra- 

70 


EVANGELICAL  UNITED  MENNONITES. 

ternal  delegate  to  the  fall  conference  of  the  Evangelical 
Mennonites  in  1878,  and  sentiment  had  grown  so  far 
that  this  conference  considered  the  question  of  a  more 
intimate  connection  with  the  United  Mennonites,  and 
passed  rather  favorably  on  it.  Copies  of  the  conference 
minutes  were  sent  to  Brenneman,  and  in  commenting  on 
them  in  an  editorial,  he  says:  "We  hope  like  steps  may 
be  taken  on  the  part  of  our  people,  and  the  necessary 
measures  be  adopted  at  once  to  investigate  the  matter 
and,  if  possible,  effect  a  permanent  union.  ...  So  far 
as  we  have  been  able  to  ascertain  there  is  nothing  exist- 
ing between  us  that  is  worthy  the  name  of  distinction." 
These  were  Brenneman 's  sentiments,  and  they  probably 
echoed  the  feelings  of  the  leaders  in  general.  Eby  and 
Brenneman  were  elected  delegates  to  attend  the  semi- 
annual conference  of  the  Evangelical  Mennonites  in 
Pennsylvania  in  October,  1879.  This  move  was  made 
at  the  general  conference  held  in  Blair,  Ontario,  in  June 
of  that  same  year.  A  very  warm  feeling  was  expressed 
at  this  conference  of  the  Evangelical  Mennonites  toward 
union,  and  a  special  conference  was  called  to  convene 
November  6,  at  Upper  Milford,  Lehigh  County,  Penn- 
sylvania. 

This  conference  came  off  as  planned.  Solomon  Eby 
was  chairman,  and  S.  M.  Musselman  secretary.  There 
were  nineteen  members,  the  majority,  of  course,  being 
from  Pennsylvania.  The  question  of  union  was  investi- 
gated thoroughly.  To  quote  from  the  conference  min- 
utes: "As  a  preparatory  step,  the  two  disciplines  were 
read  before  the  conference,  compared,  thoroughly 
weighed  and  considered,  and  it  was  indeed  marvelous 
(only  as  it  is  considered  that  both  were  drawn  from  the 
Bible)  to  learn  how  nearly  in  point  of  faith  and  doctrine 

71 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

the  two  disciplines  corresponded.  The  only  material 
difference  being  in  point  of  church  government.  The 
United  Mennonite  discipline  having  the  preference  in 
this  respect,  after  modifying  a  few  sentences,  was  unani- 
mously adopted  by  the  conference. 

' '  There  now  being  a  perfect  union  of  spirit,  faith,  and 
doctrine,  the  two  bodies  mutually  and  unanimously  con- 
sented to  unite  in  the  name  and  fear  of  the  Lord.  .  .  . 
It  was  considered  to  be  only  meet  that  the  names  as  well 
be  combined  together  also,  hence  the  name  Evangelical 
United  Mennonites  was  adopted,  upon  which  the  whole 
conference  with  the  entire  assembly  went  down  upon 
their  knees  in  honor  to  God  and  in  thanksgiving  and 
praise  to  his  great  and  matchless  name  for  thus  uniting 
the  hearts  of  his  people  and  bringing  them  together  into 
onefold." 

Thus  the  union  was  brought  about,  and  an  acknowl- 
edgment confirming  it  was  subscribed  to  by  the  con- 
ference.    The  following  are  the  names  subscribed: 

William  Gehman  Joel  Rosenberger 

Solomon  Eby  Abraham  Kauffman 

Samuel  Musselman  Sidenham  Lambert 

Daniel  Brenneman  Joseph  Schneider 

John  Baer  Jacob  Ruch 

Eusebius  Hershey  Daniel  Koch 

David  Henning  William  Yeakel 

Jonas  Musselman  Michael  Landis 

Abel  Strawn  David  Gehman 
George  Lambert 

It  was  then  decided  that  the  fields  of  labor  in  Penn- 
sylvania should  constitute  a  separate  conference,  mak- 
ing in   all  three   conferences:    The   Canada,    Indiana, 

72 


EVANGELICAL  UNITED  MENNONITES. 

Michigan  and  Ohio,  and  the  Pennsylvania.  Also  in  view 
of  the  great  need  of  ministers  in  the  Indiana,  Michigan 
and  Ohio  Conference  and  the  surplus  in  Pennsylvania, 
Sidenham  Lambert  was  granted  a  transfer  to  the  former 
conference. 

At  the  time  of  the  union  Pennsylvania  had  nine  minis- 
ters, six  deacons,  and  nine  different  congregations.  Can- 
ada had  eighteen  ministers,  of  whom  six  were  probation- 
ers, and  about  fourteen  congregations.  Indiana,  Mich- 
igan and  Ohio  had  thirteen  ministers  and  about  eight 
congregations.  This  made  a  total  of  some  forty  minis- 
ters and  thirty-one  congregations. 


73 


CHAPTER  V. 

Elder  Daniel  Brenneman. 

(Biographical  Sketch.) 

Daniel  Brenneman  was  born  near  Bremen,  Fairfield 
County,  Ohio,  June  8,  1834.  He  was  the  son  of  Henry 
(1791-1866),  the  son  of  Abraham  (1747-1815),  the  son 
of  Melchior,  a  Mennonite  exile  from  Switzerland,  and 
one  of  the  first  settlers  in  Lancaster  County,  Pennsyl- 
vania, 1715. 

At  four  years  of  age  Daniel  had  a  narrow  escape 
from  death  by  the  smallpox.  His  mother,  a  brother  and 
a  sister  died  of  this  dread  disease  at  the  same  time 
(March,  1838).  He  grew  to  manhood  on  the  farm,  and 
although  deprived  of  a  loving  mother's  care,  under  the 
influence  and  teaching  of  a  godly  father  he  was  kept 
free  from  the  vices  so  common  to  youth.  His  father  fre- 
quently read  aloud  to  his  children  from  a  mammoth 
German  edition  of  the  Martyr's  Mirror,  and  by  this 
means  helped  to  instill  into  the  hearts  of  his  children  a 
love  and  respect  for  the  precious  doctrines  of  the  Men- 
nonite Church,  for  which  she  has  suffered  so  much  per- 
secution; and  as  a  result  they  all  became  active  and  in- 
fluential members  of  that  body,  three  of  the  sons  becom- 
ing ministers  and  one  a  deacon. 

He  was  converted  in  1856,  and  soon  after  joined  the 
Mennonite  Church  in  Fairfield  County,   Ohio. 

In  March,  1857,  he  was  married  to  Susannah  Keagy, 
of  Augusta  County,  Virginia,  which  union  was  blessed 
with  ten  children,  five  sons  and  five  daughters,  all  of 

74 


RLDER  DANIEL  BRENNEMAN. 
(1834-1919.) 


ELDER  DANIEL  BRENNEMAN. 

whom  are  still  (1920)  living  and  all  of  whom  profess  the 
Christian  religion — all,  except  two,  being  of  the  Mennon- 
ite  faith.    One  daughter,  Phoebe,  is  in  the  foreign  field. 

In  March,  1908,  he  lost  his  faithful  companion  after 
fifty-one  years  of  married  life.  This  was  his  first  and, 
until  his  death,  the  only  funeral  in  his  family.  In  April, 
1910,  he  was  married  to  Delia  Troyer,  with  whom  he 
lived  happily  until  the  close  of  his  life.  His  death  oc- 
curred on  September  10,  1919,  after  a  short  illness,  in 
his  eighty-sixth  year. 

He  was  ordained  to  the  ministry  in  the  Old  Mennon- 
ite  Church  in  1857.  Concerning  his  ordination  and  the 
early  events  in  his  ministry,  we  quote  from  the  Kauff- 
man-Hartzler  Mennonite  History :  ' '  He  entered  upon  his 
work  at  once  with  great  vigor,  and  soon  rose  to  promi- 
nence, his  services  being  called  for  far  and  near.  In 
March,  1864,  he  moved  to  Elkhart  County,  Indiana, 
where  his  ministry  was  noted  for  the  intense  interest 
stirred  up  among  the  people  and  for  his  conflict  with 
Jacob  Wisler. ' '  From  the  same  history  we  quote :  "  As 
time  passed  on,  the  necessity  and  demand  for  English 
preaching  became  more  urgent,  and  the  body  of  members 
became  more  and  more  convinced  that  this  want  should 
be  supplied.  About  this  time  Daniel  Brenneman,  a 
minister  from  Ohio,  appeared  on  the  field.  In  the  eyes 
of  many  he  was  the  man  for  the  place.  He  was  orthodox 
in  his  views,  though  inclined  to  be  radical  on  some  ques- 
tions. He  could  handle  both  languages  excellently.  He 
was  eloquent,  aggressive,  a  good  singer,  and  full  of  life. 
The  church  revived,  and  crowded  houses  greeted  him 
wherever  he  went.  His  services  were  demanded  fre- 
quently at  funerals  and  on  other  occasions." 

After  ten  years  of  active  service  with  the  old  church, 

75 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

in  Elkhart  County,  Indiana,  circumstances,  which  are 
elsewhere  more*  fully  stated,  led  up  to  his  separation 
from  that  body  and  the  organization  of  the  Reformed 
Mennonites  (now  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ),  of 
which  body  he  was  one  of  the  principal  founders. 

In  July,  1878,  he  established,  on  his  own  responsibility 
and  by  the  permission  of  conference,  the  Gospel  Banner, 
which  has  ever  since  been  the  church  organ.  He  served 
as  editor  and  publisher  until  October,  1882. 

For  many  years  he  served  as  pastor  and  Presiding  El- 
der in  the  Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference,  and  was  a 
member  of  every  General  Conference  held  during  the 
period  of  his  active  ministry.  He  was  eloquent  and 
powerful  in  his  pulpit  ministrations  and  an  aggressive 
and  capable  organizer.  For  many  years  he  served  as 
Presiding  Elder  of  the  whole  Indiana  and  Ohio  Con- 
ference, doing  the  work  later  requiring  two  men.  He 
preached  with  surprising  vigor  and  great  earnestness 
down  to  the  close  of  life.  Even  after  having  no  regular 
charge  of  his  own,  he  frequently  preached  two  or  three 
times  on  the  Lord's  day,  as  opportunity  offered  or  ne- 
cessity demanded.  He  retained  his  mental  alertness 
to  the  end,  and  took  great  pleasure  in  seeing  the  church 
which  he  had  helped  to  found  and  to  which  he  had  given 
practically  his  whole  life,  prosper.  He  never  missed  an 
Annual  Conference  during  his  entire  career. 

From  his  youth  he  sought  to  honor,  respect  and  obey 
his  father,  who  at  one  time  testified  concerning  his  son 
Daniel  that  "he  was  always  obedient."  His  eighty  and 
five  years  are  an  illustration  of  God's  faithfulness  to 
His  promise  to  give  long  life  to  those  who  obey  their 
parents  and  serve  Him. 


76 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Formation  of  the  Mennonite  Brethren 
in  Christ. 

With  this  chapter  we  come  to  the  final  union  whereby 
the  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ  Church  was  formed 
and  the  present  name  adopted.  The  Evangelical  United 
Mennonites  were  organized  in  1879,  in  a  union  between 
the  Evangelical  Mennonites  of  Pennsylvania  and  the 
United  Mennonites  of  the  United  States  and  Canada. 
This  was  treated  in  the  preceding  chapter.  It  now  re- 
mains to  take  up  the  Brethren  in  Christ,  who  composed 
the  new  element  introduced  in  the  final  union.  This 
union  occurred  in  December,  1883,  four  years  after  the 
forming  of  the  Evangelical  United  Mennonites,  and 
something  should  be  said  concerning  the  progress  of  the 
Evangelical  United  Mennonites  during  this  period,  be- 
fore turning  to  the  Brethren  in  Christ. 

Evangelical  United  Mennonites. 
The  customs  existing  in  the  church  show  a  distinct 
tendency  toward  aloofness  from  things  worldly.  Plain- 
ness in  dress  was  insisted  upon,  and  many  an  article  ap- 
peared in  the  Gospel  Banner,  urging  the  discarding  of 
everything  ministering  to  pride.  For  example,  the  fol- 
lowing :  ' '  For  what  purpose  is  that  feather  ?  that  flower  ? 
that  bow  of  ribbon?  Why  that  lace?  that  fringe?  those 
ruffles?  those  tucks?  those  plaits?  Nothing  but  adorn- 
ing— ornaments  admired  by  the  world.  'Be  not  con- 
formed to  the  world'  is  the  Word's  command."1     This 


1  From  an  article  on  "Trimmings,"  Gospel  Banner,  Vol.  5,  p.  176. 

77 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

idea  of  separation  was  a  fundamental  thought,  influenc- 
ing every  phase  of  life.  Likewise  choirs  and  musical 
instruments  were  forbidden  in  churches.  Influence  was 
exerted  against  "that  filthy  weed,  tobacco,"  and  a  Gen- 
eral Conference  resolution  was  passed  forbidding  the 
ordination  of  any  man  as  a  minister  or  deacon  who  used 
it.  No  systematic  plan  of  financing  the  ministry  was 
used,  and  a  man  who  could  not  preach  and  at  the  same 
time  support  himself,  received  little  respect.  There 
was,  however,  the  germ  of  the  present  system  in  that 
many  gifts  were  presented  to  the  minister,  as  a  mat- 
ter of  "charity." 

Daniel  Brenneman  had  started  the  Gospel  Banner  in 
1878,  and  along  with  that  had  grown  up  a  publishing 
business  which  the  church  took  over  in  1879.  At  the 
same  time,  a  committee  of  D.  Brenneman,  S.  Eby,  and 
B.  Bowman  was  appointed  "to  collect  a  variety  of  suit- 
able hymns  for  a  hymn  book."  By  February,  1881, 
the  English  edition  was  ready  for  delivery.  It  contained 
some  eight  hundred  hymns,  and  was  sold  for  a  dollar. 

In  1880,  during  this  period,  the  first  Camp  Meeting 
was  held.  It  was  more  or  less  of  an  experiment,  and 
there  were  some  prejudiced  against  it  at  first.  The  Camp 
Meeting  was  held  on  the  Bethel  Circuit,  about  seven  miles 
west  of  Goshen,  commencing  July  30th  and  continuing 
for  ten  days.2  It  was  regarded  as  highly  satisfactory, 
and  has  since  become  a  permanent  institution  in  the 
church. 

Foreign  Missions  had  always  received  verbal  assent, 
but  it  was  not  until  this  period  that  the  problem  was 
really  considered.  The  General  Conference  in  1882  pro- 
vided that  each  Annual  Conference  should  "adopt  a 

2  A  report  of  the  Camp  Meeting:  occurs  in  the  Gospel  Banner  for  August 
15,   1880,  p.  124.  78 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST. 

system  to  collect  foreign  mission  funds."  With  this, 
foreign  missions  as  a  definite  part  of  church  work  was 
started. 

As  stated  before,  there  were  three  conferences: 
Canada;  Pennsylvania;  and  Indiana,  Michigan  and 
Ohio.  The  Michigan  work  in  the  last  conference  had 
consisted  of  one  or  two  small  charges,  and  it  was  during 
this  period  that  the  work  eventually  producing  the  pres- 
ent Michigan  Conference  was  begun.3 

Peter  Cober  was  born  in  Wellington  County,  Ontario, 
in  1853.  He  was  converted  in  1874,  and  united  with  the 
church.  After  this  he  lived  on  the  farm  until  1880.  In 
that  year  he  and  his  wife  moved  to  Michigan,  settling  on 
a  new,  uncleared  farm  near  Ubly,  Huron  County.  Up 
to  this  time  he  had  no  definite  call  to  preach;  but  now 
the  question  arose,  and  the  call  came  more  forcibly. 
Accordingly,  he  sent  for  Daniel  Brenneman,  expecting 
Brenneman  to  help  him  out  of  his  trouble,  so  that  he 
would  not  need  to  preach.  In  this  he  was  mistaken, 
however.  Brenneman  came  and  organized  a  small  class 
of  six  or  seven  at  Ubly.  Then  they  went  to  Deanville,  in 
Lapeer  County,  and  organized  another  class.  Cober  was 
left  in  charge  of  these.  Somewhat  later  the  Greenwood 
class  was  organized,  near  Yale,  and  then  there  were 
three  appointments  to  care  for.  These  three  congre- 
gations were  the  nucleus,  and  by  gradual  growth  they 
spread  until  Michigan  came  to  be  a  separate  conference. 
Developments  after  1883  will  be  treated  in  subsequent 
chapters. 

Probably  the  most  interesting  phase  of  growth  is  the 
increase  of  church  membership.     Other  things  may  be 


8  This  information  regarding  the  Michigan  work  was  received  from  Peter 
Cober   in   conversation   with  him,   January,   1918. 

79 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

important,  but  if  a  church  cannot  make  converts,  it  is  of 
little  value.  During  the  four  years  there  were  about 
984  converts  and  about  697  accessions  to  the  church, 
while  the  active  membership  raised  from  a  little  over 
1,400  to  about  1,650.  Eight  churches  were  built,  seven- 
teen new  appointments  started,  and  the  number  of  min- 
isters grew  from  26  to  45.  The  following  table  sums  up 
the  statistics.4 

Converts—                              1880  1881  1882  1883 

Canada    152  83  149  118 

Indiana,  Mich.  &  Ohio...     70  (75)  (80)  110 

Pennsylvania  (15)  22  32  78 

Total    237  180  261  306 

Total  number  of  converts,  984. 
Accessions — 

Canada   78  80  76  68 

Indiana,  Mich.  &  Ohio...     65  (60)  (65)  72 

Pennsylvania  (10)  10  55  58 

Total    153  150  196  198 

6  Total  number  accessions,  697. 
Total  Members — 

Canada    833  857  885  909 

Indiana,  Mich.   &   Ohio..  400  436  471  452 

Pennsylvania    175  200  230  286 

Total    1408  1493  1586  1647 

'Increase,  239. 

1  This  table  does  not  pretend  to  be  exact.  It  is  approximately  right, 
however,  and  is  based  on  conference  reports  as  they  appeared  in  the  Gos- 
pel Banner.  Where  the  report  does  not  include  everything:,  the  approximate 
figures  have  been  put  in  parentheses. 

5  A  question  may  arise  relative  to  the  modest  net  increase  in  member- 
ship, while  the  accessions  were  considerably  more.  A  net  increase  in  mem- 
bership can  only  represent  the  number  of  accessions  over  and  above  the 
deaths,  withdrawals,  and  dismissals.  In  a  period  of  transition  like  that 
through  which  the  church  was  going,  the  element  of  permanency  was  not 
so  prominent.  gQ 


MENNONITB  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST. 

Churches—                            1880  1881  1882  1883 

Canada    9  12  13  12 

Indiana,  Mich.  &  Ohio...      (1)  (1)  (1)  2 

Pennsylvania  4  5  6  8 

Total    14  18  19  22 

Increase,  8. 
Ministers — 

Canada    19  19  18  19 

Indiana.  Mich.  &  Ohio.  ..  8  11  16  14 

Pennsylvania    9  10  10  12 

Total    26  40  44  45 

Increase,  19. 
6  Appointments — 

Canada    37  36  48  43 

Indiana,  Mich.  &  Ohio.  ..  15  20  (21)  22 

Pennsylvania    10  16  15  14 

Total    62  72  84  79 

Increase,  17. 

Brethren  in  Christ. 

With  this  summary  of  the  activities  between  1879 
and  1883,  we  will  turn  to  the  Brethren  in  Christ  who 
next  united  with  the  movement. 

The  situation  is  somewhat  complicated  here,  because 
of  the  fact  that  three  different  related  bodies  claimed 
the  name,  Brethren  in  Christ.  Consequently  a  few  in- 
troductory words  of  explanation  are  in  order.  First, 
there  were  the  River  Brethren,  known  as  the  Brethren 
in  Christ.  They  began  to  use  the  name  early  in  the 
eighteenth  century,  and  legalized  their  right  to  it  when 
its  use  was  begun  by  others.     About  1736  there  was  a 


6  An  appointment  is  any  place  where  a  minister  preaches  regularly.  As 
may  be  seen,  the  number  of  appointments  varies  considerably  from  the 
number   of   churches. 

6  81 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

split  in  the  River  Brethren,  John  Wenger  and  his  fol- 
lowers leaving  the  church.  They,  however,  kept  the  old 
name,  probably  because  the  River  Brethren  were  never 
known  as  Brethren  in  Christ  ordinarily.  A  little  later 
there  was  a  split  in  Wenger 's  party,  his  son,  John  Wen- 
ger, Jr.,  heading  one  faction,  and  John  Swank  head- 
ing the  other.  Thus  the  second  Brethren  in  Christ 
Church  was  divided  into  Wengerites  and  Swankites,  each 
again  claiming  the  original  name.  The  Swankites  united 
with  the  Evangelical  United  Mennonites  in  1883,  leaving 
then  two  parties  in  contest  for  the  name.  The  River 
Brethren,  however,  being  incorporated  under  that  name, 
have  a  legal  right  to  it,  but  the  Wengerites  have  been 
known  more  or  less  by  it. 

In  considering  the  Brethren  in  Christ  we  shall  go  back 
to  the  River  Brethren  and  trace  the  growth  from  the  be- 
ginning. Some  time  in  the  first  half  of  the  eighteenth 
century  a  colony  of  Swiss  immigrants  came  to  the  United 
States  from  Upper  Switzerland.  Here  they  settled  in 
Pennsylvania,  in  the  Susquehanna  Valley.  Whether 
they  were  Mennonites  or  not  is  not  certain;  but  if  not, 
they  were  likely  descendants  of  Mennonites  in  Switzer- 
land. This  accounts  for  the  great  similarity  that  was 
found  to  exist  between  the  church  they  founded  and  the 
Mennonites.  Among  these  Swiss  a  church  was  organ- 
ized, and  the  name  Brethren  in  Christ  adopted.7  Be- 
cause of  the  fact  that  the  congregation  was  located  in 
the  valley,  it  became  customary  to  speak  of  the  "  breth- 
ren by  the  river,"  and  thus  they  became   eventually 


7  The  exact  date  of  the  organization  cannot  be  given.  The  Encyclopedia 
Britannica  is  authority  for  the  date  1750.  A.  D.  Hoke  claims  that  an  old 
paper  drawn  up  about  the  time  of  the  Civil  War  dates  it  125  years  before 
that,  which  would  be  somewhere  between  1730  and  1740.  Probably  the 
date  is  not  later  than  1750. 

82 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST. 

known  as  the  River  Brethren.  By  1770  there  were 
several  congregations,  Jacob  Engle  being  their  first  pas- 
tor. In  faith  and  practice  they  resembled  the  Mennon- 
ites  considerably.  They  baptized  by  triune  immersion, 
the  candidate  kneeling  in  the  water  and  being  immersed 
forward  three  times.  They  used  the  kiss  of  greeting, 
washed  the  saints'  feet,  taught  non-resistance,  and  inter- 
preted the  Bible  literally,  in  general. 

About  1828  trouble  arose  in  Ohio  between  the  bishop, 
Levi  Lukenbach,  and  one  of  the  ministers,  John  Wen- 
ger.8  Up  to  this  time  the  River  Brethren  had  not  used 
meeting  houses,  but  had  held  their  meetings  in  private 
houses  or  barns.  To  erect  a  church  building  for  the  pur- 
pose of  holding  religious  meetings  was  considered  a  sin. 
Wenger,  on  the  contrary,  favored  church  buildings,  and 
could  see  nothing  wrong  in  them.9  Quite  a  breach  came 
to  exist  between  these  two  men  who  were  the  acknowl- 
edged leaders  of  the  two  factions.  These  differences  led 
to  a  division  in  1828.  John  Wenger  and  his  followers,  a 
small  band  compared  with  the  River  Brethren,  separated 
and  started  holding  meetings  of  their  own,  using,  for 
the  time  being,  Wenger 's  barn.  This  division  occurred 
in  Ohio,  Wenger  and  his  followers  living  in  Harrisburg, 
Montgomery  County,  and  in  Medina  County.  These 
Wengerites  styled  themselves  the  Brethren  in  Christ 
which,  as  mentioned  above,  was  the  name  which  was 
claimed  by  the  River  Brethren. 


8  The  information  regarding  the  River  Brethren  and  the  Brethren  in 
Christ  was  received  in  conversation  with  Samuel  Herr,  Harrisburg,  Ohio, 
an  old  minister  of  the  River  Brethren;  A.  D.  Hoke,  New  Carlisle,  Ohio, 
whose  father  was  a  River  Brethren  minister;  also  A.  Good  and  S.  Longe- 
necker,  New  Carlisle,  who  formerly  belonged  to  the  Brethren  in  Christ. 

9  Longenecker  and  Good  gave  an  added  cause  for  difference,  in  that 
Wenger  objected  to  certain  love  feasts  held  by  the  River  Brethren.  This  is 
not  substantiated   by  Hoke  and  Herr. 

83 


MBNNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

As  their  predecessors,  so  the  Wengerites  were  destined 
to  a  split.  John  Swank  and  Jacob  Swank  left  the  United 
Brethren  and  joined  the  Brethren  in  Christ,  as  Wenger 
and  his  followers  called  themselves.  John  was  the  most 
prominent.  He  became  a  preacher  and,  as  time  passed, 
one  of  the  leaders.  The  elder  John  "Wenger 's  place  was 
taken  by  his  son,  John  Wenger,  who  was  known  as 
"Johnnie"  Wenger.  These  two,  John  Swank  and  John- 
nie Wenger,  became  the  poles  of  another  cleavage,  Wen- 
ger representing  the  conservative  and  Swank  the  liberal 
side.  The  formal  rupture  took  place  in  1861.  Swank, 
having  come  from  another  church  with  somewhat  differ- 
ent practices,  did  not  cling  to  the  established  customs  as 
fully  as  Wenger  wished,  also  desired  to  introduce  meth- 
ods to  which  the  church  was  not  accustomed.  The  orig- 
inal Wengerites  has  accepted  their  method  of  baptism 
from  the  River  Brethren.  This  was  triune  immersion, 
forward,  with  the  candidate  kneeling.  Swank,  however, 
was  willing  to  baptize  backward,  as  well  as  forward,  and 
did  not  insist  on  three  immersions.  Wenger  objected  to 
this  liberal  tendency,  as  a  practice,  but  allowed  such  who 
came  from  other  churches,  who  had  been  baptized  by 
single  immersion,  to  be  received  without  rebaptism,  pro- 
vided they  were  satisfied  with  their  baptism.  This  was 
a  sort  of  compromise.  Further,  Swank  and  those  who 
adhered  to  his  views  desired  a  church  discipline,  arguing 
that,  if  a  man  had  a  rule  of  faith  he  should  write  it 
down,  and,  if  written,  it  might  as  well  be  printed  for 
reference  for  others.  Wenger  objected  to  this,  claiming 
that  he  used  the  New  Testament  for  his  guide.  Swank 
placed  considerable  emphasis  upon  protracted  meetings 
and  the  public  prayer  altar  as  methods  for  getting  peo- 
ple converted.    Wenger  also  practiced  both  a  little  later, 

84 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST. 

though  with  some  opposition.10  Methods,  not  fundamen- 
tals to  Christian  faith,  seem  to  have  driven  these  two 
groups  farther  and  farther  apart.  Both  leaders  were 
greatly  beloved  by  their  followers  and  enjoyed  their  com- 
plete confidence. 

Swank's  followers  were  augmented  further  by  an  ele- 
ment from  Pennsylvania.  On  a  trip  there  some  time  in 
1850  or  soon  after,  he  had  met  a  certain  George  Shoe- 
maker, of  the  Dunkard  Church,  who  believed  definitely 
in  a  sound  conversion  before  baptism  and  who  was  a 
little  too  aggressive  for  his  brethren.  He  and  Swank 
visited  each  other  quite  often,  and  their  followers  were 
brought  together,  so  that  there  was  considerable  co- 
operation between  them. 

In  this  manner  the  affair  went  on  for  some  time,  with 
Swank  and  Shoemaker  on  one  side  and  Wenger  on  the 
other.  Which  side  withdrew  from  the  other  may  be  a 
debatable  question,  but  the  separation  occurred  in  1860. 
At  the  conference  of  that  year  the  Swank  element  pre- 
sented a  prepared  discipline  for  ratification,  and  at- 
tempted to  secure  its  adoption.  The  delegates  had  not 
been  elected  on  the  issue  of  adopting  a  discipline,  and 
there  being  considerable  of  sentiment  against  a  written 
discipline,  the  result  was  defeat.  Had  the  matter  been 
handled  a  little  more  carefully  and  given  more  time,  it 
is  possible  that  the  adoption  of  a  discipline  might  have 
resulted  without  the  separation,  for  both  factions  adopted 
disciplines  in  the  course  of  a  few  years. 

In  May,  1861,  a  General  Conference  of  the  Swank 
faction  was  called  in  the  Crooked  Creek  Church,  Arm- 


10  Wenger's  later  attempt  to  adopt  the  "Mourner's  bench"  is  related  by 
Elder  A.  Good  in  a  sermon  published  in  the  Brethren  in  Christ  Department 
of  the  Gospel  Banner,  issue  of  December  1,  1883,  p.  184. 

85 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

strong  County,  Pennsylvania.  The  ministerial  delegates 
from  Ohio  were  Jacob  Swank,  John  Swank,  and  David 
Rasor;  from  Pennsylvania,  George  Shoemaker,  R.  De- 
ford,  A.  G.  Marsh,  and  J.  Shoemaker.  Besides  these, 
there  were  quite  a  number  of  lay  delegates  attending. 
In  this  conference  they  very  carefully  investigated  the 
Scriptures  and  drew  up  a  constitution,  which  was 
adopted.  Another  General  Conference  was  then  called 
for  1865.  During  these  four  years  came  the  Civil  War, 
and  the  church  was  subjected  to  rather  severe  perse- 
cution, but,  in  spite  of  the  difficulties,  survived.  The  con- 
ference met  in  Ohio  in  October,  1865,  as  planned.  Here 
the  constitution  was  revised  and  amended,  and  then 
printed  along  with  the  fundamental  articles  of  faith. 
Thus  the  Swank  faction  obtained  the  end  contended  for 
— a  Discipline.11 

The  first  part  of  the  booklet  containing  the  constitu- 
tion is  given  to  a  short  account  of  the  origin  of  the  Breth- 
ren in  Christ.  Following  this  is  a  section  giving  eight 
reasons  for  having  a  constitution.  This  is  no  doubt 
for  the  benefit  of  those  who  claim  that  constitutions  are 
of  the  evil  one.  The  constitution  proper  contains  the 
methods  of  church  government  and  the  beliefs  and  prac- 
tices not  properly  included  under  the  articles  of  faith. 
The  test  of  membership  was  to  be  ''true  repentance, 
true  faith,  and  true  conversion  or  regeneration."  Bap- 
tism was  administered  by  single  immersion.  Communion, 
washing  of  the  saints'  feet,  and  the  holy  kiss  were  ac- 
cepted, as  among  Mennonites.  Various  things  not  to  be 
countenanced  in  the  church  were  :  ' '  Extravagant  dress, 
slavery,    secret    societies,    intoxicating    liquors,    shows, 


11  A  copy  may  be  found  in  the  library  of  S.  Longenecker,  New  Carlisle, 
Ohio. 

86 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST. 

theatres,  and  vain  frolics. ' '  In  the  articles  of  faith,  the 
regular  orthodox  views  of  God,  Christ,  and  Man  were 
accepted.  The  similarity  of  the  views  to  those  among 
the  Evangelical  United  Mennonites  is  evident,  and  it  is 
not  at  all  strange  that  the  thought  of  union  should  come 
up  when  the  two  parties  met. 

The  Wenger  branch  also  decided  upon  a  discipline 
later,  and  Dr.  C.  Nyse wander  was  appointed  in  the  early 
eighties  to  compile  and  formulate  a  statement  of  ' '  Faith 
and  Rules,"  the  term  "discipline"  being  avoided  be- 
cause of  the  prejudice  against  it,  occasioned  probably,  in 
part,  by  the  previous  controversy.  The  "Faith  and 
Rules, ' '  as  compiled  and  formulated,  was  adopted,  prac- 
tically without  change  and  without  any  opposition,  ex- 
cept by  a  few  who  still  persisted  in  their  attitude  against 
any  printed  statement  of  doctrine.  This  took  place 
shortly  after  the  death  of  Wenger,  who  died  in  1879. 

A  comparison  and  evaluation  of  these  two  disciplines  by 
an  unprejudiced  person  discloses  the  fact  that  there  was 
little  difference  between  them.  All  that  has  been  said 
above  concerning  the  Discipline  of  the  Swank  faction  can 
be  said  of  the  Faith  and  Rules  of  the  Wenger  faction, 
with  the  following  exception:  the  former  makes  single 
immersion  the  Scriptural  mode  of  baptism,  while  the 
latter  makes  triune  immersion  the  Scriptural  mode. 

Both  of  the  branches,  headed  respectively  by  Swank 
and  Wenger,  claimed  the  name  Brethren  in  Christ, 
though  the  River  Brethren  were  already  incorporated 
under  that  name.  Locally  they  were  known  as  Wenger- 
ites  and  Swankites.  Though  scattered  around  in  various 
places,  both  had  their  main  body  in  Montgomery  County, 
Ohio;  the  former  near  Little  York  and  the  latter  near 
Clayton,  being  separated  by  about  ten  miles.    There  was 

87 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

little  intercourse  between  them.  This  was  the  condition 
of  affairs  about  1870,  and  in  1883  the  Swankites  united 
with  the  Evangelical  United  Mennonites.  While  this 
amalgamation  was  taking  place  there  was  some  sentiment 
among  the  "Wengerites  in  favor  of  uniting,  but  it  never 
became  strong  enough  to  overcome  the  opposition  put  up 
by  a  few  influential  leaders. 

Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ. 

It  now  remains  to  trace  the  steps  leading  to  the  union 
of  1883,  which  resulted  in  the  body  afterward  to  be 
known  as  The  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ. 

After  the  cleavage  in  the  church  founded  by  the  elder 
John  Wenger,  resulting  in  the  two  factions,  the  Wen- 
gerites, headed  by  John  Wenger,  and  the  Swankites, 
headed  by  John  Swank,  which  became  practically  com- 
plete about  1870,  neither  branch  prospered  in  any  large 
measure. 

The  new  churches  in  Armstrong  County,  Pennsyl- 
vania, which  adhered  to  the  Swankites,  had  several  strong 
ministers  among  them,  including  George  Shoemaker,  who 
wrote  a  volume  of  "Notes  on  the  Gospels,"12  and  his 
brother,  J.  W.  Shoemaker,  and  several  younger  men. 
But  George  Shoemaker  died  in  1867,  and  several  of  the 
other  older  men  not  long  afterward,  and  it  appears  that 
several  of  the  younger  ministers  became  discouraged 
with  the  prospects  resulting  from  the  division  and  left 
the  church.  At  any  rate,  at  the  time  of  the  union,  in 
1883,  there  were  no  ministers  in  the  Armstrong  County 
churches  to  care  for  the  flock  except  S.  McDonald,  who 
made  a  plea  for  help  at  the  conference  in  1884.     Pas- 


12  This  volume  is  entitled,  "Notes  on  the  Holy   Gospels,"  and   was  pub- 
lished in  Philadelphia  in  1868,  the  year  following  the  author's  death. 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST. 

tors  have  been  sent  to  them  from  other  localities  ever 
since. 

The  Swankites  had  also  lost  their  outstanding  leader, 
John  Swank,  in  1873,  by  death ;  and,  although  there  were 
several  able  preachers  among  them,  including  George 
Waitman,  Aaron  Peffly,  George  Wright,  Samuel  Lon- 
genecker,  Jabez  Swank,  and  others,  Swank's  mantle  of 
leadership  seems  not  to  have  fallen  directly  upon  any 
one  of  them.  They  also  at  one  time  had  a  small  period- 
ical, published  by  George  Shoemaker,  called  the  "Mil- 
lennial Harbinger, ' '  but  this  had  not  been  published  for 
a  number  of  years. 

There  is  every  evidence  that  the  desire  of  the  Evan- 
gelical United  Mennonites  originally  was,  that  all  of  the 
Brethren  in  Christ  should  unite,  and  many  an  article 
appeared  in  the  "Banner"  by  such  men  as  Solomon  Eby 
and  Daniel  Brenneman,  urging  union.  Eby  says  in  part : 
"I  feel  within  me  a  longing  desire  that  a  union  with 
the  Brethren  in  Christ  be  effected.  .  .  .  Though  anxious 
that  a  thorough  acquaintance  with  each  other  be  formed 
before  we  engage  together  to  labor  for  the  Lord.  .  .  . 
Now  the  idea  that  I  would  suggest  as  a  starting  point 
would  be  this:  let  the  Brethren  in  Christ,  if  possible, 
elect  a  committee  to  meet  us  at  our  annual  conference 
to  meet  in  Berlin,  Ontario,  April  6th,  with  a  view  of  be- 
coming better  acquainted  with  each  other."13  Whether 
this  committee  was  present  or  not  is  not  definitely  stated 
in  the  conference  report,  but  at  any  rate  the  following 
resolution  was  passed:  "Resolved,  That  the  General  Con- 
ference be  held  one  year  prior  to  the  time  appointed  for 
the  purpose  of  looking  after  and  considering  the  inter- 
ests of  the  printing  establishment  and  also  to  consider  the 

13  Gospel  Banner,  April  1,  1882,  p.  54. 

89 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

advisability  of  the  proposed  union  with  the  Brethren  in 
Christ."14  Another  resolution  urging  the  Brethren  in 
Christ  to  be  present  at  the  General  Conference  and  to 
attend  the  camp  meeting,  was  passed.  This  shows  the 
attitude  of  the  Canada  Conference. 

Brenneman  exhibited  a  similar  feeling  of  welcome  to- 
ward the  newcomers.  He  writes:  "We  are  glad  to  say 
that  the  prospects  for  union  with  the  Brethren  in  Christ, 
and  especially  the  Swank  branch,  are  very  favorable. 
In  fact,  we  are  virtually  one  now,  since  in  point  of  doc- 
trine there  is  no  material  difference."15  He  then  enu- 
merates six  general  principles  in  which  there  is  agree- 
ment, and  claims  that  there  is  not  sufficient  reason  for 
not  uniting.  The  six  principles  are:  1.  Experimental  re- 
ligion. 2.  Water  baptism.  3.  Communion  and  feet- 
washing.  4.  Anti-militarism.  5.  Anti-secrecy.  6.  Sepa- 
ration from  the  world. 

The  General  Conference  was  evidently  planned  to  be 
held  in  the  autumn  of  1883,  but  upon  recommendation 
of  the  Canada  Conference,  the  Pennsylvania  Conference 
concurring,  the  conference  was  announced  for  October 
4,  1882,  hoping  that  the  Brethren  in  Christ  would  send 
delegates  with  a  view  to  forming  a  union.  One  delegate 
from  the  Swank  branch,  John  Rasor,  was  present  for 
the  purpose  of  negotiating  for  a  union.  The  time  was 
not  yet  quite  ripe,  but  the  conference  recommended  that 
a  general  acquaintance  should  be  formed  between  the 
two  bodies,  both  by  correspondence  and  visiting. 

Following  this,  events  moved  rapidly.  The  Brethren 
in  Christ  in  western  Pennsylvania  were  quite  in  favor 
of  the  movement,  as  well  as  the  others.    Their  doctrines 


"Gospel  Banner,  May  1,  1882,  p.  71. 

15  Gospel  Banner,  December  1,  1882,  p.  181. 

90 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST. 

were  presented  in  the  "Gospel  Banner,"  and  articles 
on  union  were  very  frequent.  Several  representatives 
attended  the  annual  conference  of  Indiana  and  Michi 
gan,  held  in  March,  1883.  Sentiment  in  favor  of  a 
special  union  meeting  grew,  and  finally  a  definite  date 
was  set — the  first  Wednesday  of  November — the  place 
to  be  Montgomery  County,  Ohio.  The  date  was  later 
changed,  and  a  special  union  conference  announced,  be- 
ginning December  27,  1883.  This  was  held  at  Harris- 
burg,  Ohio,  with  the  Swank  branch  of  the  Brethren  in 
Christ. 

The  conference  came  off  as  planned,  and  was  presided 
over  by  Samuel  McDonald.  The  contemplated  union  was 
effected  and  finally  ratified  at  ten  o  'clock  on  the  evening 
of  Saturday,  the  twenty-ninth  of  December.  The  name 
Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ  was  adopted.  There  was 
some  discussion  over  this,  and  the  suggestion  to  leave 
"Mennonite"  entirely  out  of  the  name  considered.  It 
was  finally  retained,  however,  when  the  Canada  brethren 
explained  that  certain  exemptions  from  military  service 
hinged  upon  their  having  the  word  "Mennonite" 
definitely  in  the  name. 

The  names  signed  to  the  ratification  are  as  follows : 

George  Wright  G.  D.  Waitman 

Menno  Bowman  Wm.  Gehman 
Daniel  Brenneman                '   Peter  Walter 

Moses  Blackburn  Peter  Pike 

Isaiah  Smail  S.  Lambert 

Samuel  McDonald  Solomon  Eby 

Abel  Strawn  John  Rasor 

This  union  brought  quite  an  increase  in  membership 
for  the  Indiana,  Michigan  and  Ohio  Conference.     The 

91 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

conference  reports  for  the  two  years,  1883  and  1884,  show 

the  following  figures : 

1883  1884  Increase. 

Total  members   452  700  248 

Churches 2  12  10 

Ministers 14  25  11 

Appointments    22  26  4 

Thus  we  may  conclude  that  the  union  with  the  Breth- 
ren in  Christ,  together  with  the  regular  progress  of  the 
year,  added  about  250  members,  10  ministers,  11 
churches,  and  4  appointments. 

But  in  the  union  of  1883  only  the  Swank  branch  of 
the  Brethren  in  Christ  united.  The  Wengerites  made  no 
effort  to  unite  as  a  body,  although  some  of  their  minis- 
ters attended  the  Union  Conference  and  would  have  been 
ready  to  unite.  The  facts  are,  that  had  it  not  been  for 
two  men  who  had  received  ordination  in  the  Wengerite 
branch  and  who  seemed  to  be  determined  upon  leader- 
ship and  who  feared  the  effect  the  union  might  have  upon 
themselves  as  leaders,  the  Wenger  branch  might  have 
united  also.  The  Wengerites  and  Swankites  had  met 
several  times  to  make  some  effort  at  being  reunited  be- 
fore the  subject  of  union  with  the  Evangelical  United 
Mennonites  arose,  but  always  some  difficulty  was  en- 
countered, and  nothing  was  accomplished.  One  of  the 
two  men  who  stood  in  the  way  of  the  union  of  the  Wen- 
gerites with  the  Evangelical  United  Mennonites  was 
later  disowned  by  the  remaining  body,  and  the  other 
withdrew  and  united  with  another  church.  The  Wen- 
gerites, however,  suffered  some  loss  as  a  result  of  the 
union,  in  the  following  ways : 

Elder  Andrew  Good,  an  ardent  advocate  of  union,  con- 
tinued to  labor  frequently  with  the  united  body,  and 

92 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST. 

when  it  became  evident  that  the  Wengerites  would  per- 
sist in  their  attitude  against  union  he  united  with  the 
Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ  Church  in  1885.  There 
were  also  a  number  of  families  from  the  Liberty  and 
Stringtown  Churches  in  Clark  County,  Ohio,  who  united, 
as  well  as  an  occasional  family  from  several  of  the  other 
Wengerite  churches.  A  great  revival  was  experienced 
in  the  community  of  the  Liberty  church,  among  the 
families  who  had  united  with  the  Mennonite  Brethren  in 
Christ,  and,  as  a  result,  the  Union  Chapel  church  was 
built.  The  Stringtown  church  was  also  purchased 
from  the  Wengerites  and  was  continued  as  a  regular 
preaching  place  for  many  years.  Both  of  these  congre- 
gations were  amalgamated  with  the  New  Carlisle  class 
about  1905,  and  ceased  to  exist  as  separate  classes. 

The  "Wengerites  also  sustained  the  loss  of  their  church 
organ  as  a  result  of  the  union.  Their  periodical, 
"The  Church  and  Home,"  had  been  combined  with 
the  "Gospel  Banner"  in  1882.  Andrew  Good  was  one 
of  the  editors,  and  Dr.  Christian  Nysewander  the 
other.  Both  of  these  men,  having  labored  earnestly 
to  the  end  that  their  branch  of  the  Brethren  in  Christ, 
the  Wengerites,  should,  like  the  Swankites,  unite  with 
the  Evangelical  United  Mennonites,  had  little  induce- 
ment to  continue  a  periodical  at  much  sacrifice,  in  the 
interest  of  a  body  which  had  the  offer  of  the  encourage- 
ment and  support  of  a  larger  and  more  aggressive  or- 
ganization and  which  seemed  destined  to  be  dominated 
by  selfish  leadership.  Accordingly,  "The  Church  and 
Home"  ceased  to  exist  with  the  issue  of  November  1, 
1884,  according  to  Conference  action  of  the  Wengerites 
in  October  of  that  year.  The  reason  given  for  not  con- 
tinuing is,  lack  of  finance.     Other  existing  conditions, 

93 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

however,  led  to  this  situation.  It  may  be  more  proper 
to  say  that  "The  Church  and  Home"  was  allowed  to 
become  an  unidentified  part  of  the  "Gospel  Banner," 
since  a  number  of  its  supporters  adopted  the  "Gospel 
Banner"  as  their  church  periodical. 

Not  only  did  the  Wengerites  lose  some  membership  in 
Ohio  to  the  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ,  but  Elder 
A.  A.  Miller,  who  was  pastor  of  a  class  at  Shambaugh, 
Iowa,  later  also  cast  his  lot  with  the  larger  body,  bring- 
ing the  class  with  him.  This  class  was  not  large,  but  was 
reported  by  him  at  the  Wengerite  Conference,  held  at 
Decatur,  Indiana,  October,  1883,  as  being  "filled  with 
the  Holy  Ghost." 

Despite  all  opposition  to  union  on  the  part  of  a  few 
leaders,  a  reasonably  good  feeling  has  continued  to  exist 
between  the  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ  and  the  Wen- 
gerites. There  has  been  considerable  of  co-operation  in 
localities  where  they  have  existed  together,  and  in  March, 
1920,  a  petition  was  presented  to  the  Indiana  and  Ohio 
Conference,  in  annual  session  at  Gettysburg,  Ohio,  by 
the  Antioch  church  of  the  Wengerites,  located  near  De- 
catur, Indiana,  to  be  received  into  the  Mennonite  Breth- 
ren in  Christ  Church.  A  committee  was  appointed  to 
confer  with  the  body  to  which  they  belonged,  with  the 
understanding  that  if  everything  was  satisfactory,  they 
should  be  received  by  the  Presiding  Elder  of  the  Indiana 
District.  Accordingly,  this  class,  consisting  of  about 
thirty  members,  was  received  into  the  church  in  June, 
1920. 

The  Wengerite  branch  of  The  Brethren  in  Christ  con- 
tinues to  exist,  though  small  and  local,  with  some  very 
noticeable  signs  of  spiritual  life,  and  have  recently 
adopted  the  name,  Pentecostal  Brethren  in  Christ. 

94 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST. 

The  union  of  1883  was  the  last  union.  Since  then 
there  have  been  no  other  bodies  added.  The  statistics 
for  the  whole  church  were  in  1883 :  ministers,  58 ;  mem- 
bers, 2,076 ;  churches,  37 ;  appointments,  76.  These  fig- 
ures represent  the  statistical  summary  with  which  the 
body  since  known  as  the  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ 
began  its  work.  Latest  statistics  are  given  at  the  close 
of  the  volume,  in  Chapter  XVIII. 

To  summarize  briefly,  we  have  seen  how  two  evangel- 
ical sects,  laying  emphasis  on  experimental  religion  with 
definite  assurance  of  pardon,  separated  from  the  Old 
Mennonite  Church  in  Canada.  They  were  known  as  the 
Reformed  Mennonites  and  the  New  Mennonites,  the  for- 
mer spreading  to  the  United  States.  These  united  and 
produced  the  United  Mennonites,  who  again  united  with 
the  Evangelical  Mennonites  from  Pennsylvania  who  had 
arisen  from  similar  causes,  forming  the  Evangelical 
United  Mennonites.  After  a  short  time  the  Brethren 
in  Christ  expressed  a  desire  for  union,  and  the  Mennon- 
ite Brethren  in  Christ  was  formed  by  the  union  of  the 
Evangelical  United  Mennonites  and  the  Swank  branch 
of  the  Brethren  in  Christ.  That,  in  short,  is  the  history 
of  the  origin  of  the  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ. 

Subsequent  Developments. 

With  the  union  of  1883,  the  Mennonite  Brethren  in 
Christ  Church  was  started  on  its  real  career.  Its  terri- 
torial growth  is  indicated  by  the  conferences  which 
sprang  from  the  original  three.  The  Michigan  Confer- 
ence is  the  product  of  the  Ontario  and  Indiana  Con- 
ferences jointly,  with  the  larger  contribution  to  the 
credit  of  Ontario.     The  Nebraska  Conference  is  the  re- 

95 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

suit,  almost  exclusively,  of  the  activity  of  the  Indiana 
and  Ohio  Conference.  The  Pacific  Conference  sprang 
directly  from  the  Nebraska  Conference,  hence  indirectly 
from  the  Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference.  The  Canadian 
North  West  Conference  is  the  outgrowth  of  the  Ontario 
Conference.  After  its  founding,  the  Ontario  Confer- 
ence, formerly  called  the  Canadian  Conference,  was 
obliged  to  share  its  name  with  the  newcomer,  the  elder 
taking  to  itself  the  name  Ontario  Conference.  The  In- 
diana and  Ohio  Conference,  before  the  union  in  1883, 
which  practically  added  the  Ohio  District,  was  called  the 
Indiana  and  Michigan  Conference.  Later  the  name 
Michigan  was  dropped  in  favor  of  Ohio. 

The  story  of  an  evangelism  which  could  not  be  limited 
to  the  rural  districts  nor  by  the  ocean  shores,  but  which 
reached  into  some  of  the  dark  places  of  the  larger  cities 
and  to  the  heathen  peoples  of  the  world,  is  told  in  the 
chapter  on  "Missions." 

The  awakening  to  the  power  of  the  silent,  printed  page, 
and  the  consequent  effort  to  utilize  these  forces  in  the 
field  of  literature  is  recounted  in  the  chapter  on  "Pub- 
lishing Interests. ' ' 

The  slow  but  gradual  recognition  of  the  need  of  a 
trained  intellect  in  the  field  of  Christian  service  as  well 
as  in  all  the  legitimate  occupations  and  professions,  with 
the  meager  efforts  made  to  meet  this  need,  is  related  in 
the  chapter  on  "Education." 

The  struggle  toward  a  position  in  matters  of  doctrine 
and  practice,  which  will  enable  the  church  to  serve  her 
day  and  generation,  is  traced  in  the  chapter  on  "Doc- 
trinal and  Practical  Developments. ' ' 


96 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST. 

Record  of  Presiding  Elders. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  Presiding  Elders  who 
have  served  the  various  conferences,  with  their  respective 
dates,  under  whose  leadership  the  work  of  the  Lord,  rep- 
resented by  the  several  Conferences,  has  been  carried  on : 

Pennsylvania. — William  Gehman,  1880-1891;  W.  B. 
Musselman,  1891-1898;  C.  H.  Brunner,  1898-1902, 
1905-1907;  H.  B.  Musselman,  1901-1906,  1908-1920; 
W.  G.  Gehman,  1905-1920.  The  Conference  has  been 
divided  into  two  districts  most  of  the  time  since  1902. 

Ontario. — Solomon  Eby,  1875-1886,  from  the  first  con- 
ference of  the  United  Mennonites  to  the  third  M.  B.  C. 
Conference.  Menno  Bowman,  1886-1891.  From  1891 
to  1907  there  were  two  districts  and  two  elders,  as  fol- 
lows: 1891-1895,  M.  Bowman  (West  District),  Solomon 
Eby  (East);  1895-1900,  M.  Bowman  (South),  Peter 
Cober  (North);  1900-1901,  P.  Cober  (South),  Henry 
Goudie  (North);  1901-1903,  H.  Goudie  (North),  S. 
Eby  (South);  1903-1905,  H.  Goudie  (North),  P.  Co- 
ber (South)  ;  1905-1907,  P.  Cober  (West),  Samuel  Gou- 
die (East)  ;  1907-1908,  one  Elder,  S.  Goudie;  1908-1911, 
S.  Goudie  (East),  E.  Sievenpiper  (West);  1911-1915, 
S.  Goudie  (West),  S.  Cressman  (East);  1917-1918,  one 
Elder,  S.  Goudie;  1918-1919,  C.  N.  Good  (West),  S. 
Goudie  (East);  1919-19—,  S.  Cressman  (West),  S. 
Goudie  (East). 

Indiana  and  Ohio. — Daniel  Brenneman,  1876-1877, 
1879-1880,  1881-1882,  1883-1884  (South  District), 
1885-1886,  1890-1892,  1895-1896,  1896-1897  (East), 
1897-1901;  Samuel  Sherk,  1877-1879,  1880-1881,  1883- 
1884    (North    District),    1884-1885,    1886-1887;    D.    U. 

7  97 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Lambert,  1882-1883 ;  Andrew  Good,  1887-1890 ;  S.  Lam- 
bert,   1892-1894;    C.    K.    Curtis,    1894-1895,    1896-1897 
(West  District).    From  1901  the  conference  was  divided 
into  two  districts,  the  Indiana  District  and  the  Ohio 
District,  with  two  Presiding  Elders,  except  from  1908- 
1909,  when  A.  B.  Yoder  served  both  districts.    1901-1903, 
A.  B.  Yoder  (Indiana),  W.  J.  Huffman  (Ohio)  ;  1903- 
1904,  A.  B.  Yoder  (Indiana),  J.  E.  Hall  (Ohio)  ;  1904- 
1906,    A.    B.    Yoder    (Indiana),    S.    Lambert    (Ohio) 
1906-1907,  C.  K.  Curtis  (Indiana),  C.  I.  Scott  (Ohio) 
1907-1908,  S.  Lambert   (Indiana),  C.  I.  Scott   (Ohio) 
1909-1910,  A.  B.  Yoder  (Indiana),  H.  F.  Beck  (Ohio) 
1910-1912,  A.  B.  Yoder  (Indiana),  S.  Lambert  (Ohio) 
1912-1917,    C.    K.    Curtis    (Indiana),    C.    I.    Huffman 
(Ohio)  ;  1917-1921,  A.  B.  Yoder  (Indiana),  W.  H.  Moore 
(Ohio). 

Ministerial  Roll. 

The  ministerial  roll,  as  shown  by  the  latest  Conference 
Reports  of  the  three  original  Conferences  is  as  follows : 

Pennsylvania. 

Ordained:  H.  B.  Musselman,  W.  G.  Gehman,  W.  B. 
Musselman,  C.  H.  Brunner,  W.  S.  Hottel,  E.  N.  Cassel, 
F.  M.  Hottel,  J.  G.  Shireman,  B.  Bryan  Musselman, 
E.  T.  Shick,  R.  L.  Woodring,  J.  C.  Roth,  H.  K.  Kratz, 
J.  F.  Barrall,  O.  S.  Hillegass,  G.  F.  Yost,  R.  Bergstresser, 
E.  E.  Kublie,  V.  H.  Reinhart,  W.  W.  Zimmerman,  R.  W. 
Dickert,  J.  B.  Layne,  M.  P.  Zook,  C.  F.  Snyder,  and 
H.  W.  Feldges. 

Probationers:  A.  G.  Woodring,  W.  F.  Heffner  and 
N.  H.  Wolf. 

98 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST. 

Ontario. 

Ordained  and  Probationers :  S.  Goudie,  S.  Cressman, 
C.  N.  Good,  J.  N.  Kitching,  J.  A.  Sider,  P.  Cober,  E.  Sie- 
venpiper,  J.  Bolwell,  W.  Brown,  A.  G.  Warder,  F.  J. 
Lehman,  H.  R.  Fry,  M.  Bricker,  I.  Brubacker,  N.  H. 
Schwalm,  R.  Eltherington,  D.  J.  Storms,  E.  Moyer,  T.  F. 
Barker,  C.  I.  Sinden,  E.  Sehlimn,  A.  T.  Gooding,  C.  Ray- 
mer,  M.  McGuire,  H.  S.  Hallman,  J.  B.  Detwiler,  S.  H. 
Fretz,  S.  S.  Shantz,  W.  Yates,  A.  Geiger,  M.  Weber, 
L.  P.  Raymer,  P.  Geiger,  J.  E.  Fidler,  W.  0.  Mendell, 
I.  H.  Erb,  C.  T.  Homuth,  A.  W.  Banfield,  W.  Shantz. 

Indiana  and  Ohio. 

Ordained:  A.  B.  Yoder,  W.  H.  Moore,  S.  Lambert, 
C.  K.  Curtis,  J.  A.  Huffman,  S.  Longenecker,  S.  Bartlett, 
C.  I.  Huffman,  E.  D.  Mast,  L.  J.  Lehman,  A.  Taylor, 
H.  M.  Metzger,  D.  Hygema,  J.  I.  Moore,  J.  J.  Hostetler, 
I.  P.  Moore,  L.  Kreider,  C.  T.  Moore,  0.  L.  Flesher, 
W.  W.  Culp.  A.  Taylor,  L.  Welty,  D.  H.  Huffman. 

Probationers:  H.  E.  Miller,  C.  Spry,  J.  A.  Singer, 
W.  J.  Huffman,  B.  D.  Lewis,  R.  P.  Ditmer,  R.  McBrier, 
C.  A.  Wright. 


99 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Elder  William  Gehman. 

(Biographical  Sketch.) 

Elder  William  Gehman  was  born  January  22,  1827, 
and  died  April  12,  1918 ;  aged  91  years,  2  months  and 
20  days. 

' '  Father ' '  William  Gehman,  as  he  was  called  for  many 
years  because  of  his  greatly  advanced  age,  was  born  in 
Hereford  Township,  Berks  County,  Pa.  He  spent  his 
early  life  on  his  father 's  farm,  later  learned  the  trade  of 
a  miller.  Afterward  he  was  married  to  Anna  Musselman, 
who  died  in  1904,  five  sons  and  four  daughters  having 
been  born  unto  them,  all  of  whom  survive  him  except 
one  son  and  one  daughter. 

When  quite  young,  he  was  voted  into  the  ministry  by 
the  congregation  of  the  General  Conference  Mennonites 
at  Zionsville,  Pa.,  of  which  he  was  a  member,  and  was 
ordained  to  the  ministry  in  1849.  Being  forbidden  to 
hold  prayer  meetings,  he  felt  that  he  could  not  worship 
any  longer  with  his  former  church,  so  he,  with  a  number 
of  others,  organized  a  church  at  Zionsville  in  1857. 

At  first  they  only  had  services  in  their  homes,  but  in 
the  summer  of  1859  they  built  a  substantial  brick  church 
about  a  mile  east  of  the  old  church.  This  was  known  for 
many  years  as  Upper  Milford  Church,  but  now  known 
as  Zionsville  M.  B.  in  C.  Church.  This  was  the  first 
and  original  congregation  of  the  Mennonite  Brethren 
in  Christ  of  Pennsylvania. 

He  continued  to  be  the  leading  spirit  among  the  minis- 
100 


ELDER  WILLIAM  GEHMAN. 

(1827-1918.) 


ELDER  WILLIAM  GEHMAN. 

ters  and  the  various  congregations  until  1879,  when  he 
was  elected  the  first  Presiding  Elder  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Conference.  This  office  he  held  for  thirteen  successive 
years  till  1892,  when  he  retired  from  the  active  service. 

His  youngest  son,  W.  G.  Gehman,  has  been  a  Presid- 
ing Elder  in  the  Pennsylvania  Conference  since  1905, 
also  President  of  the  Gospel  Herald  Society,  a  men's 
home  missionary  society.  Another  son,  Allen  M.,  has 
been  Conference  Treasurer  since  1902,  while  another  son, 
Henry  M.,  is  a  Quarterly  Conference  licensed  minister. 

Although  retired  for  over  twenty-seven  years,  Father 
Gehman  never  lost  interest  in  the  work,  and  was  present 
at  every  Annual  Conference  up  to  the  last  one  before 
his  death,  held  at  Allentown,  Pa.,  in  October,  1917.  He 
attended  a  total  of  106  semi-annual,  special,  annual  and 
general  conferences  without  missing  one  session.  At 
twenty-nine  of  these  he  served  as  chairman. 

He  took  an  increasing  delight  in  his  last  years 
in  seeing  the  progress  of  the  work  and  beholding 
the  many  young  people  saved  and  separated  from  this 
present  evil  world,  and  brought  into  the  active  and  full 
service  of  their  blessed  Master.  He  was  held  in  high  es- 
teem by  his  younger  brethren  in  the  ministry  for  whom 
he  also  always  showed  much  respect. 

He  was  also  a  prominent  and  ever-welcome  at- 
tendant at  the  church  where  he  lived  and  of  which 
he  was  a  life-long  member.  He  was  noted  for  be- 
ing punctual  in  the  Sunday  School,  and  kept  his  place 
in  his  class  up  to  the  last  Sunday  before  his  death.  He 
could  not  be  persuaded  to  fill  an  appointment  that  would 
take  him  away  from  the  Quarterly  Conference  on  the 
charge.  He  always  welcomed  his  Presiding  Elders,  and 
took  an  active  part  in  all  of  the  services.    His  mind  was 

101 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

keen  and  brilliant  up  to  the  last.  He  frequently  preached 
for  one  and  one-half  hours,  even  of  late  years,  showing 
unusual  fervor,  strength  and  zeal.  The  Sunday  before 
his  death  he  gave  an  address  at  his  home  church,  and 
although  his  age  showed  such  ripeness,  he  was  ever  young 
in  spirit,  which  is  so  unlike  the  many  of  his  class.  He 
had  planned  to  meet  with  the  brethren  at  the  Ministerial 
Convention,  held  at  Emaus,  Pa.,  during  the  week  of  his 
demise,  but  the  Lord  seemingly  willed  it  otherwise.  He 
contracted  a  cold  which  soon  developed  into  pneumonia, 
of  which  he  died  after  an  illness  of  only  three  days. 

He  fell  asleep  in  Jesus  without  a  struggle,  giving 
much  assurance  of  the  glorious  hope  to  come  (be- 
ing conscious  up  to  the  last),  and  knowing  that  he  had 
"fought  the  good  fight  of  faith."  The  light  of  this  life 
which  may  keep  flaming  against  many  winds,  at  last  dies 
out  for  want  of  oil.  He  will  still  be  kept  in  remembrance 
as  a  Father  in  the  church,  who  was  much  esteemed  in 
the  Lord. 


102 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

The  Michigan  Conference. 

After  tracing  the  origin  of  the  Mennonite  Brethren 
in  Christ  Church  in  the  preceding  chapters,  it  remains 
to  account  for  the  most  important  subsequent  develop- 
ments. There  were,  at  the  close  of  the  last  chapter,  three 
conferences :  Ontario,  Indiana  and  Ohio,  and  Pennsylva- 
nia. It  remains,  therefore,  to  trace  the  origin  of  the 
other  four:  Michigan,  Nebraska,  Pacific  and  Alberta, 
and  then  summarize  the  growth  of  all  up  to  the  present 
time.  Before  the  summary,  a  chapter  will  be  devoted 
to  each  of  the  following  subjects:  Doctrinal  and  Prac- 
tical Developments,  Publishing  Interests,  Foreign  Mis- 
sions, City  Missions,  Education  and  Biographical 
Sketches. 

The  Michigan  Conference  was  well  started  before  the 
last  union  in  1883.  Peter  Cober's  early  labors  in  Michi- 
gan have  already  been  recounted  in  Chapter  VI.  He 
was  concerned  mainly  with  the  southern  part  of  the 
state,  and  in  1882  was  sent  to  Indiana  by  the  confer- 
ence. Other  men  working  in  Michigan  in  the  early  days 
were  Samuel  Sherk,  D.  U.  Lambert,  J.  Schliehter  and  a 
few  others.  By  1883  there  were  classes  organized  in 
Kent,  Emmett,  Van  Buren,  Lapeer,  Sanilac  and  Huron 
counties.  In  1883  B.  Kreutziger  was  sent  over  by  the 
Canada  Conference.  He  went  to  Brown  City.  At  the 
time,  however,  there  was  no  church  or  parsonage  there, 
and  it  being  impossible  for  them  to  rent  a  place  to  live, 
they  built  a  barn  in  which  they  lived  until  the  house  was 

103 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

completed.  The  first  church  in  Michigan  was  built  in 
the  following  year  (1884)  at  Brown  City.  There  were 
about  fifteen  members  in  all  on  the  Brown  City  and 
Greenwood  fields.  The  Brown  City  class  had  been  or- 
ganized in  May,  1881,  by  D.  Brenneman.  Meetings  were 
also  held  at  the  Deanville  school  house,  where  consider- 
able success  was  met.  From  various  places,  invitations 
came  to  hold  tabernacle  meetings.  These  were  generally 
accepted.  A  large  tent  was  erected  and  meetings  held 
every  night,  often  for  weeks  at  a  time.  Thus  the  classes 
at  Lamotte,  Elmer,  and  Wheatland  were  started. 

Wesley  Schlichter  was  the  successor  to  Elder  B.  Kreut- 
ziger,  and  built  the  first  Greenwood  Church  about  1884. 
Greenwood  was  then  a  part  of  the  Brown  City  Circuit. 
B.  Kreutziger  continued  ever  since  to  labor  in  the  ter- 
ritory of  the  Michigan  Conference. 

Following  the  earliest  pioneers  of  the  conference  came 
two  men,  both  from  Ontario,  both  ordained  the  same 
year  (1891)  by  the  Canadian  Conference.  They  were 
Elders  E.  Anthony  and  0.  B.  Snyder.  These  men,  each 
after  serving  a  short  pastorate  in  Ontario,  came  to  Mich- 
igan in  the  vigor  of  their  manhood  (0.  B.  Snyder  com- 
ing in  1890  and  E.  Anthony  in  1891),  both  giving  strong 
and  aggressive  leadership  to  the  conference.  Elder 
Anthony  served  as  Presiding  Elder,  covering  a  period 
of  ten  years.  0.  B.  Snyder  served  as  Presiding  Elder 
for  fourteen  and  a  half  years,  almost  continuously.  To 
these  strong  and  self-sacrificing  leaders  much  of  the 
credit  of  the  progress  of  the  Michigan  Conference  is  due, 
for  they  accepted  the  leadership  from  the  hands  of  the 
pioneers,  and  succeeded  in  making  the  conference  self- 
supporting  and  its  presence  and  influence  felt  within 
and  beyond  the  state. 

104 


THE  MICHIGAN  CONFERENCE. 

Scarcely  less  than  the  contributions  made  to  the 
Michigan  Conference  by  E.  Anthony  or  0.  B.  Snyder 
was  that  of  Elder  William  Graybiel.  He,  too,  was  a 
Canadian  by  birth,  and  came  to  Michigan  in  1891.  He 
was  the  pioneer  evangelist.  During  the  summer  of  1891 
he  held  three  tabernacle  meetings:  at  Greenwood,  Yale 
and  Lynn.  As  a  result  of  one  of  these  meetings  the 
Lynn  class  was  organized  and  Greenwood  strengthened. 
He  also  labored  at  Fremont,  where  he  built  a  church. 
Being  an  excellent  singer,  his  services  were  almost  in- 
dispensable at  the  camp  meetings  and  other  gatherings. 
Either  by  preaching,  singing  or  by  the  use  of  his  saw 
and  hammer,  very  little  took  place  in  the  territory  of 
the  Michigan  Conference,  in  the  earlier  days,  without 
his  presence  and  contribution.  He  returned  to  Canada, 
where  he  spent  several  years,  but  later  returned  to  Mich- 
igan. He  also  served  as  Presiding  Elder  on  the  "West 
District  for  two  years,  1905-1907. 

Elder  William  Schroeder  also  devoted  considerable 
time  to  evangelistic  work  toward  the  close  of  the  nine- 
ties, as  a  result  of  which  the  Mizpeh  and  Wheatland 
Churches  were  organized. 

At  the  General  Conference  in  1896,  held  at  Coopers- 
burg,  Pa.,  Michigan,  a  part  of  which  had  previously 
been  within  the  territory  of  the  Ontario  Conference 
and  a  part  within  the  territory  of  the  Indiana  and  Ohio 
Conference,  was  recognized  as  a  Mission  Conference. 
That  meant  that  Michigan  would  be  a  separate  conference 
in  the  future,  but  would  receive  support  from  the  other 
conferences.  A  special  Home  Mission  Fund  was  kept  in 
each  conference,  and  this  was  used  to  assist  the  places 
that  were  small  and  unable  to  fully  support  themselves. 
Canada  usually  had  a  strong  Home  Mission  Fund,  and 

105 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

was  often  able  to  help  needy  fields.  In  this  ease,  Canada 
gave  thirty  percent  of  her  Fund  to  the  Michigan  Con- 
ference the  first  two  years  (1897-1898),  twenty-five  per- 
cent the  third  year,  and  twenty  percent  the  fourth.  Thus 
the  Michigan  work  was  cared  for.  At  the  next  General 
Conference,  in  1900,  Michigan  was  represented  by  three 
men,  0.  B.  Snyder,  E.  Anthony  and  J.  C.  Hallman,  the 
two  former  being  ministers,  the  latter  a  layman.  At 
this  General  Conference  Michigan  was  made  an  inde- 
pendent conference.  There  were  by  that  time  six  cir- 
cuits and  five  missions.  Besides  this,  a  few  city  missions 
had  been  opened.  During  the  following  four  years  Can- 
ada still  helped  support  the  Michigan  work. 

The  Michigan  Conference  had  but  little  Mennonite 
stock  with  which  to  build  up  its  local  churches.  With 
the  exception  of  a  few  families  who  came  over  from 
Canada  at  various  times,  the  leaders  had  to  work  with 
those  of  other  than  Mennonite  ancestry,  thus  becoming, 
in  a  very  real  sense,  a  missionary  conference.  Although 
it  is  true  of  the  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ  movement, 
as  a  whole,  that  it  was  and  is  a  missionary  movement, 
it  is  particularly  true  of  the  Michigan  Conference,  when 
compared  with  the  three  older  conferences,  as  is  evi- 
denced by  the  number  of  non-Mennonite  names  now 
upon  the  Church  records. 

That  the  eastern  and  northern  parts  of  the  state  of 
Michigan  should  have  become  so  well  dotted  with  Men- 
nonite Brethren  in  Christ  Churches  in  so  short  a  time, 
is  a  splendid  testimony  to  the  aggressiveness  of  this 
small  and  comparatively  youthful  conference.  This  can- 
not be  accounted  for  without  arriving  at  a  conclusion, 
that  those  who  came  among  the  people  of  Michigan  as 
representatives  of  the  Mennonite  faith,  both  ministry 

106 


THE  MICHIGAN  CONFERENCE. 

and  laity,  must  have  had  the  favor  of  God  upon  them, 
and  thus  were  able  to  exert  a  wonderful  influence  upon 
the  people. 

From  the  time  that  Michigan  became  even  a  Mission- 
ary Conference,  city  missions  were  conducted:  first  in 
Grand  Rapids,  then  in  cities  like  St.  Clair,  Bad  Axe, 
Pontiac,  Port  Huron,  and  other  cities,  and  later  in  De- 
troit, where  two  missions  were  organized.  Some  of  these 
missions  have  been  discontinued,  and  some  have  become 
regularly  organized  churches,  and  constitute  a  substan- 
tial part  of  the  conference.  Several  city  missions  are 
still  conducted  in  the  larger  cities,  such  as  Detroit,  Bat- 
tle Creek  and  Kalamazoo,  the  latter  having  been  opened 
in  1920.  As  in  all  the  conferences,  women  missionaries 
were  the  most  important  factors  in  carrying  on  city  mis- 
sion work.  The  city  mission  work  has  been  at  all  times 
under  the  direction  of  the  Presiding  Elders. 

Neither  has  the  call  from  beyond  the  seas  gone  un- 
heeded by  this  conference.  In  1901  its  first  Presiding 
Elder,  E.  Anthony,  was  sent  to  Africa,  where  he  aided 
in  organizing  the  work  in  Nigeria.  His  health  did  not 
permit  him  to  remain  long — a  little  less  than  two  years — 
but  soon  after  his  return,  Miss  Florence  Overholt  (Mrs. 
Lang)  was  sent  out  in  1906,  and  a  year  later  Ira  Sherk 
was  sent.  Interest,  however,  did  not  confine  itself  to 
Africa,  but  in  1909  Misses  Dorinda  and  Anna  Bowman 
were  sent  to  assist  in  the  work  among  the  Armenians 
in  Asiatic  Turkey. 

It  is  to  be  noted  that  the  Michigan  Conference  is  the 
child  of  the  Ontario  Conference  (Canada  Conference  as 
it  was  then  called),  for  it  not  only  furnished  the  pio- 
neer and  later  leaders,  but  also  gave  some  families  to 
constitute  a  nucleus  of  laity.     The  parent  conference 

107 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

also  gave  of  its  funds  to  support  the  young  missionary 
conference,  until  it  was  capable  of  self-support.  What- 
ever there  is,  or  shall  be,  of  the  Michigan  Conference, 
must  be  placed  largely  to  the  credit  of  the  missionary 
and  sacrificing  spirit  of  the  Ontario  Conference. 

Presiding  Elder  Record. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  Presiding  Elders  who 
have  served  the  Michigan  Conference,  with  dates: 

E.  Anthony  was  elected  in  1895  by  the  Ontario  Con- 
ference, over  the  Michigan  District,  and  continued  after 
Michigan  was  made  a  Missionary  Conference,  serving 
until  1900,  when  0.  B.  Snyder  was  elected. 

In  1904  the  conference  was  divided  into  East  and 
West  Districts.  0.  B.  Snyder  was  stationed  on  the  East 
District;  Elder  E.  Anthony  on  the  West  District. 

In  1905  W.  Graybiel  and  E.  Anthony  were  elected. 
W.  Graybiel  was  placed  on  the  West  District,  and  E. 
Anthony  on  the  East. 

In  1907  the  conference  went  back  to  one  district  and 
one  Presiding  Elder,  E.  Anthony  being  elected. 

In  1909  0.  B.  Snyder  was  elected  Presiding  Elder. 

In  1914  the  conference  was  again  divided  into  two 
districts:  North  and  South.  R.  M.  Dodd  was  placed 
over  the  North  District,  and  0.  B.  Snyder  over  the  South 
District. 

In  1917  B.  Bowman  was  elected  over  the  North  Dis- 
trict ;  0.  B.  Snyder  over  the  South  District. 

In  1918  R.  M.  Dodd  was  elected  over  the  South  Dis- 
trict; B.  Bowman  over  the  North  District. 

In  1920  B.  A.  Sherk  was  elected  over  the  North  Dis- 
trict ;  R.  M.  Dodd  over  the  South  District. 

108 


THE  MICHIGAN  CONFERENCE. 

Ministerial  Roll. 

The  ministerial  roll  of  the  Conference,  as  found  in  its 
latest  proceedings  is  as  follows : 

Ordained:  B.  Kreutziger,  0.  B.  Snyder,  D.  Schultz, 
B.  A.  Sherk,  R.  M.  Dodd,  J.  S.  Wood,  J.  A.  Avery,  B. 
Douglas,  B.  Bowman,  S.  H.  Kreutziger,  F.  A.  Jones, 
W.  0.  Cline,  E.  Krack,  R.  G.  Morgan,  R.  W.  Herber, 
R.  D.  Dean,  J.  A.  Bradley,  A.  G.  Herman,  N.  Kiteley, 
W.  Schroeder,  W.  Graybiel,  M.  D.  Bechtel,  H.  Hill. 

Probationers:  N.  J.  Zimmerla,  G.  C.  Guilliat.  G.  W. 
Surbrook. 


109 


CHAPTER  IX. 

The  Nebraska  Conference. 

Until  the  year  of  the  organization  of  the  Nebraska 
Conference  (1896),  there  were  but  two  conferences  in 
the  United  States :  Pennsylvania,  Indiana  and  Ohio,  and 
one  in  Canada.  The  Pennsylvania  Conference  was  con- 
fined to  Eastern  Pennsylvania,  the  Canadian  to  Ontario 
and  northern  Michigan,  while  the  Indiana  and  Ohio 
Conference  had  churches  in  Indiana,  Ohio,  western  Penn- 
sylvania and  southern  Michigan.1 

The  "call  of  the  west"  was  heard  by  members  of  the 
M.  B.  C.  Church,  as  well  as  by  others.  "With  its  broad, 
rolling  prairies  and  fertile  lands,  it  offered  homes  to 
such  who  were  less  likely  to  obtain  homes  in  the  eastern 
or  central  states.  Even  to  Ontario  the  western  portion 
of  the  United  States  made  its  appeal. 

Some  time  before  1880  a  small  colony  of  members  of 
the  M.  B.  C.  Church  from  Ontario  migrated  to  Marion 
County,  Kansas,  in  the  vicinity  of  Peabody.  Among 
them  were :  B.  D.  Snyder,  Benjamin  Snyder,  H.  E.  "Wis- 
mer,  Samuel  Burkholder,  Samuel  Haug  and  others,  with 
their  families.  There  were  also  in  this  colony  the  fami- 
lies of  Joseph  Dohner  and  Jacob  Dohner,  formerly  from 
Pennsylvania.  These  people  were  like  a  small  flock  of 
sheep  without  a  shepherd,  and  exposed  to  the  peculiar 
spiritual  dangers  which  are  characteristic  of  new  coun- 
tries. 


1  Michigan   was  made  a  Mission   Conference  and  The  Nebraska  Confer- 
ence authorized   at   the  same   General   Conference   in   1896. 

110 


THE  NEBRASKA  CONFERENCE. 

The  Canadian  Conference  did  not  forget  this  little 
colony  in  Kansas.  They  sent  their  Presiding  Elder, 
Solomon  Eby,  to  visit  them  in  the  latter  part  of  the  win- 
ter of  1880-1881  (February,  March).  The  Canadian 
Conference  of  June,  1880,  authorized  correspondence 
with  the  Indiana  and  Ohio  and  Pennsylvania  Confer- 
ences, with  a  view  of  securing  a  minister  for  the  Kansas 
brethren.2 

Although  there  was  no  action  taken  during  the  year 
by  the  conferences  in  the  United  States,  some  evan- 
gelistic visits  were  made  to  the  Kansas  brethren ;  also  to 
several  other  western  communities.  In  November,  1880, 
Elder  Daniel  Brenneman  started  upon  a  western  tour. 
He  first  visited  a  community  of  brethren  in  Henry 
County,  Iowa,  near  Sweedsburgh.  A  series  of  meetings 
was  held  in  the  Crawford  school  house,  at  the  close  of 
which  a  class  of  fourteen  was  organized,  with  C.  Bechler 
as  minister  and  S.  Hage  as  deacon.  From  here  he  went 
to  Marion  County,  Kansas,  to  visit  the  community  of 
brethren  near  Peabody.  During  the  month  of  December 
a  revival  meeting  was  conducted  in  the  Dohner  school 
house,  which  proved  successful.  As  yet  there  was  no 
organization,  and  on  December  19,  1880,  a  class  of  seven- 
teen members  was  organized.3 

This  evangelistic  tour  of  Daniel  Brenneman,  resulting 
in  the  organization  of  two  classes,  was  followed  soon  by 
a  similar  one  by  John  Krupp,  who  visited  both  of  the 
classes  organized.  A  series  of  meetings  was  held  in  each 
place,  which  proved  to  be  helpful  to  the  newly-organized 
churches.  Krupp  proceeded  further,  into  McPherson 
County,  Kansas,  where  several  meetings  were  held  and 


-  Minutes  of  Canadian  Conference,  Gospel  Banner,  July  1,  1880,  p.  101. 
3  Editorial  Correspondence,  Gospel  Banner,  January  1,  1881,  p.  4. 
Ill 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

a  union  Sabbath  School  organized.  This  was  in  the  win- 
ter of  1880-1881  (December-February). 

The  result  of  this  tour  was  that  Elder  Krupp,  who  had 
accepted  no  pastorate  at  the  fall  conference  held  in 
Indiana,  decided  to  move  west,  which  he  did  in  May, 
1881,  settling  in  Henry  County,  Iowa,  becoming  the 
pastor  of  the  church  which  worshiped  in  the  Crawford 
school  house. 

But  the  Canadian  community  near  Peabody  was  still 
shepherdless,  and  they  made  urgent  appeals  for  help. 
The  Canadian  Conference,  at  its  annual  session  in  June, 
1881,  requested  Elder  Noah  Detwiler  to  give  three 
months  of  his  time,  during  the  summer  of  1881,  to  the 
work  in  Kansas.  This  request  was  carried  out,  except 
that  he  remained  with  them  two  months,  from  August 
to  October.  The  stay  was  all  too  short  for  the  Kansas 
church,  and  again  they  were  without  a  shepherd. 

During  the  month  of  March,  1882,  John  Krupp,  who 
was  then  located  in  Iowa,  held  a  meeting  at  Dohner's 
school  house,  near  Peabody,  Kansas,  resulting  in  an  ad- 
dition of  seven  members  to  the  class.  He  also  proceeded 
to  McPherson  County,  where  he  organized  a  class — the 
third  class  in  the  west — of  ten  members,  near  McPher- 
son Center.4 

During  the  months  of  July  and  August,  1881,  Elder 
Samuel  Sherk,  then  Presiding  Elder  of  the  Indiana  and 
Ohio  Conference,  made  a  visit  to  these  few  churches 
scattered  in  the  west,  two  of  which  were  still  without 
regular  pastors. 

It  was  not  until  1883  that  the  Indiana  and  Ohio  Con- 
ference succeeded  in  sending  a  regular  pastor  to  the 


Correspondence,  Gospel  Banner,  April  15,  1882,  p.  60. 

112 


THE  NEBRASKA  CONFERENCE. 

"Kansas  Mission,"  as  it  was  called,  when  Elder  Daniel 
Kearschling,  of  Hollidaysburg,  Pa.,  who  had  united  with 
the  conference  that  year,  was  sent.5 

In  1883,  John  Krupp  moved  to  Arkansas,  together 
with  several  families  from  Henry  County,  Iowa,  and 
established  a  work  near  Stuttgart.  Jacob  Dohner,  of 
Peabody,  Kansas,  went  to  Oklahoma  later  and  organized 
a  class  at  Waterloo,  Oklahoma. 

These  may  be  said  to  be  the  beginnings  of  the  work 
in  the  Nebraska  Conference.  Out  from  these  small  cen- 
ters grew  other  groups,  and  an  occasional  class  was  or- 
ganized. But  nothing  of  a  very  aggressive  nature,  from 
the  conference  standpoint,  was  done  for  a  period  of  al- 
most ten  years.  The  union  with  the  Brethren  in  Christ 
in  1883  had  added  one  church,  the  one  at  Shambaugh, 
Iowa,  and  one  minister,  their  pastor,  Elder  A.  A.  Miller. 
S.  Lambert  and  George  Lambert  went  to  Marion  County, 
Kansas,  in  1884,  where  they  remained  for  a  short  time, 
giving  some  assistance  to  the  class  near  Peabody,  but 
returned  to  the  Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference  within  a 
couple  of  years.  D.  U.  Lambert  also  labored  for  a  time 
with  the  class  at  Peabody. 

Elder  Andrew  Good,  who  was  styled  in  the  west  the 
"heavenly  preacher,"  because  of  his  sweet  singing  and 
eloquent  preaching,  made  several  visits  among  the 
churches,  assisting  in  revival  meetings.  The  Presiding 
Elder  of  the  Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference  also  made 
trips  to  the  scattered  western  churches.  All  these  things 
together  assisted  in  keeping  up  the  interest  in  the 
churches  already  organized,  and  the  pastors  themselves 
made  missionary  tours  into  outlying  districts,  preaching 


6  Conference  Minutes,  Gospel  Banner,  April  1,  1883,  p.  52. 

8  113 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

in  school  houses  and  villages,  preparing  the  way  for  more 
systematic  and  permanent  work  when  the  time  should 
come. 

It  was  in  the  spring  of  1893  that  Homer  J.  Pontius 
was  sent  by  the  Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference  to  Frontier 
County,  Nebraska,  where  he  opened  appointments  at 
Holbrook,  Lathrop  school  house,  Hunt  school  house, 
Highland  school  house,  Rich  school  house  and  Earl 
school  house.  He  also  became  the  pastor  of  a  small  class 
at  the  Metcilf  school  house  in  Smith  County,  Kansas, 
about  eight  miles  south  of  Bloomington,  Franklin 
County,  Nebraska. 

Joseph  A.  Persell  of  Smith  County,  Kansas,  was  re- 
ceived as  probationer  that  year,  and  was  assigned  as 
helper.  Elder  Pontius  held  then  as  his  charge,  as  he 
later  reminiscently  said:  "All  territory  lying  west  of 
Iowa  and  north  of  Oklahoma." 

In  the  spring  of  1894,  in  response  to  a  plea  made  by 
A.  A.  Miller,  conference  sent  J.  J.  Hostetler  as  pastor 
of  the  Shambaugh  and  New  Market,  Iowa,  Churches, 
releasing  Elder  A.  A.  Miller. 

In  the  autumn  of  1893  Jacob  Hygema  was  sent  by  the 
Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference  to  assist  in  the  evangelistic 
work  of  the  west.  He  first  went  to  Shambaugh,  Iowa; 
then  to  western  Nebraska,  and  then  to  Stuttgart,  Ark. 

The  tabernacle  meeting  held  in  Cunning 's  Grove,  near 
the  Hunt  school  house  in  western  Nebraska,  was  des- 
tined to  have  the  greatest  effect  upon  the  history  of  the 
work.  In  this  meeting  several  were  converted  who  be- 
came leaders  in  the  church.  They  were  J.  W.  Morgan, 
M.  J.  Carmichael  and  L.  D.  Whitcomb.  N.  W.  Rich  also 
attended  this  meeting,  and  it  was  here  that  he  became 
deeply  convicted  of  his  sin.     He  was  converted  about 

114 


THE  NEBRASKA  CONFERENCE. 

three  months  later.  Besides  the  above  named  many 
others  were  converted.  The  meeting  was  held  by  H.  J. 
Pontius  and  Jacob  Hygema.  Elder  A.  A.  Miller  had 
preached  in  this  locality :  he  had  sown  the  seed,  and  the 
brethren  who  followed  reaped  the  harvest. 

It  was  in  the  year  1894  that  0.  B.  Henderson,  who 
had  been  converted  in  the  year  1892,  received  his  call 
to  preach;  and  going  to  Harper,  Kansas,  where  several 
had  previously  preached,  but  where  no  organization 
had  been  effected,  organized  a  class.  Although  the  or- 
ganization of  all  the  churches  cannot  be  related,  it  was 
in  this  manner  that  the  work  spread  and  came  gradually 
to  be  more  widely  organized.  Classes  were  organized 
at  Moline,  Franklin  County,  Nebraska,  and  Reamsville, 
Smith  County,  Kansas,  in  1896,  by  H.  J.  Pontius. 

The  organization  of  classes  in  the  western  states  in- 
creased the  territory  of  the  Indiana  and  Ohio  Confer- 
ence very  materially;  and  it  soon  became  evident  that 
someone  was  needed  to  assume  the  oversight  of  the  work 
so  newly  organized,  as  the  Presiding  Elder  of  the  confer- 
ence could  not  possibly  cover  so  large  a  territory  and  give 
efficient  leadership.  Accordingly,  at  the  Annual  Con- 
ference held  in  Potsdam,  Ohio,  in  1896,  two  Presiding 
Elders  were  elected :  Daniel  Brenneman  for  the  territory 
of  the  Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference  east  of  the  Missis- 
sippi River,  and  C.  K.  Curtis  for  the  territory  west  of 
the  Mississippi. 

The  newly  elected  Presiding  Elder  for  the  western 
territory  was  authorized  to  proceed  with  the  organiza- 
tion of  a  conference  west  of  the  Mississippi;  but  as  all 
necessary  arrangements  had  been  made  for  the  work  for 
the  ensuing  year,  nothing  was  done  toward  the  organiza- 
tion of  a  conference;  so  the  work  was  continued  for  that 

115 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

year  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Indiana  and  Ohio 
Conference.  The  Presiding  Elder  gave  himself  to  the 
oversight  of  the  work  and  assisted  in  camp  and  taber- 
nacle meetings  in  the  various  states  where  classes  had 
been  formed.  A  number  were  converted,  and  not  a  few 
were  sanctified  during  the  year.  It  was  at  a  tabernacle 
meeting  near  Peabody,  Kansas,  where  Mina  Myers  (later 
Mrs.  Arthur  Creasey),  a  public  school  teacher,  conse- 
crated herself  to  the  Lord,  and  went  forth  to  twenty 
years  of  faithful  service  before  she  was  called  home.  In 
the  fall  of  that  year  (1896)  the  General  Conference 
which  convened  in  Pennsylvania,  made  the  district  west 
of  the  Mississippi  River  a  new  conference,  christening 
it  the  "Iowa  and  Nebraska  Conference."  It  was  later 
changed  to  the  "Nebraska  Conference." 

The  first  Annual  Conference  was  held  at  New  Market, 
Iowa,  in  March,  1897,  with  C.  K.  Curtis  as  chairman. 
There  were  five  ordained  ministers  within  the  territory 
of  the  conference  to  begin  with,  and  several  probationers. 
Five  probationers  were  added  to  the  list  at  this  confer- 
ence, and  thus  the  small  ship  of  conference  set  sail. 

The  Nebraska  Conference  was  not  forgotten  by  its 
Mother  Conference,  after  being  denominated  a  distinct 
conference  by  itself.  The  Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference 
not  only  supplied  a  Presiding  Elder  for  it,  for  a  period 
of  three  years  longer,  in  the  person  of  Elder  C.  K.  Cur- 
tis, but  either  loaned  or  gave  to  it  an  occasional  minister. 
Elder  A.  B.  Yoder,  having  gone  to  Nebraska  in  1896, 
remained  in  the  service  of  the  Nebraska  Conference  until 
the  spring  of  1898. 

The  labors,  hardships  and  sacrifices  of  these  preachers 
of  the  western  plains  will  never  be  fully  known  nor  ap- 
preciated.   The  work  has  grown,  reaching  out  also  into 

116 


THE  NEBRASKA  CONFERENCE. 

Colorado.  Not  content  with  the  evangelization  of  plain 
and  village,  the  conference  has  opened,  financed,  manned 
and  maintained  a  number  of  missions  in  the  larger  cities, 
including  Omaha,  South  Omaha,  Topeka,  Kansas  City 
and  Council  Bluffs.  It  has  also  sent  two  missionaries  to 
Africa:  May  Compton  and  Maud  Cretors.  Miss  Laura 
Steckley,  who  has  been  in  India,  is  now  a  member  of 
that  conference,  and  will  represent  them  in  India.  Miss 
Stella  Lantz  has  been  accepted  for  the  work  in  Africa, 
to  sail  in  the  autumn  of  1920.  How  the  Nebraska  Con- 
ference overran  its  boundaries  and  gave  rise  to  a  new 
and  younger  conference  is  recounted  in  the  chapter  en- 
titled The  Pacific  Conference. 

Presiding  Elder  Record. 

Since  its  organization  the  Nebraska  Conference  has 
been  served  by  eight  Presiding  Elders.  C.  K.  Curtis 
served  three  years  (1896-1899)  ;  Jacob  Hygema  one  year 
(1899-1900)  ;  H.  J.  Pontius  one  year  (1900-1901) ;  O.  B. 
Henderson  three  and  a  half  years  (1901-1904)  ;  A.  A. 
Miller  one  year  (1904-1905)  ;  J.  "W.  Morgan  four  years 
(1904-1908)  ;  N.  W.  Rich  seven  years  (1908-1915)  ;  C.  I. 
Scott  since  1915.  J.  W.  Morgan  and  A.  A.  Miller  served 
one  year  contemporaneously  (1904-1905),  the  confer- 
ence having  been  divided  into  two  districts.  The  two- 
district  plan  was  continued  only  for  the  period  of  one 
year. 

Ministerial  Roll. 

The  ministerial  roll  as  disclosed  by  the  latest  Confer- 
ence Report  is  as  follows : 

Ordadned:  C.  I.  Scott,  J.  Hygema,  N.  W.  Rich,  E.  L. 
Hodson,  J.  A.  Beery,  Wm.  Lambert,  T.  J.  Overholt,  T.  D. 

117 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Grover,  J.  A.  Persell,  C.  H.  Herriman,  A.  Campbell, 
A.  P.  Utter,  W.  M.  Jett,  T.  D.  Walker,  J.  K.  Myers,  Wm. 
Anderson,  E.  D.  Young,  B.  Starkey,  J.  H.  Hess. 

Probationers:  Wm.  Day,  F.  R.  Rothenberger,  R,  R. 
Marsh,  J.  W.  Wheaton. 


118 


CHAPTER  X. 

The  Pacific  Conference. 

In  an  issue  of  the  Gospel  Banner  of  the  month  of 
June,  1899,  there  appeared  an  article  in  which  a  request 
was  made  for  a  minister  of  the  Mennonite  Brethren  in 
Christ  Church  to  come  to  Yakima  (then  called  North 
Yakima),  Washington,  for  the  purpose  of  starting  a 
work. 

This  call  was  answered  by  Elder  M.  J.  Carmichael, 
of  the  Nebraska  Conference,  who  went  west  the  follow- 
ing September  and  started  a  mission  in  the  city  of  Ya- 
kima in  the  November  following.  God  blessed  the  work 
so  that  a  class  was  organized  in  January  of  the  next 
year  (1900). 

The  church  at  Yakima  became  a  center  from  which  to 
work.  A  number  of  revival  meetings  were  held  in  the 
neighboring  towns  and  communities,  where  many  be- 
came interested  in  the  plain  Gospel  preached  in  sim- 
plicity and  power,  and  not  a  few  sought  the  Lord,  both 
for  pardon  and  for  purity. 

Not  long  after,  Elder  Carmichael  went  to  Puget 
Sound  and  held  a  meeting  at  Mountain  View,  Washing- 
ton, where  a  Mennonite  family  from  Oklahoma  had  set- 
tled. The  effort  here  was  not  so  successful  at  first.  A 
second  meeting  followed,  he  being  assisted  this  time  by 
Elder  Joseph  Persell,  who  had  just  previously  come  from 
the  Nebraska  Conference.  This  meeting  was  far-reach- 
ing and  effective,  bringing  many  to  the  decision  of  ac- 

119 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

cepting  Christ.  Here  a  small  class  was  organized,  which 
grew  rapidly  for  a  few  years. 

About  two  years  later,  Elder  H.  J.  Pontius  came  west. 
Elder  Jacob  Hygema  and  several  other  workers  soon 
followed.  Revivals  were  continued  along  the  coast,  and 
almost  everywhere  people  turned  to  the  Lord. 

The  call  of  the  Lord  to  His  ministry  was  heard  by  some 
of  the  young  converts  from  Yakima,  Mountain  View, 
Pleasant  Valley  and  other  points.  The  call  was  heeded, 
and  a  number  entered  the  ministry.  "When  the  Pacific 
Conference  was  made  a  mission  conference  in  1906,  by 
the  Nebraska  Conference,  there  were  three  ordained  min- 
isters, one  approved  ministering  sister,  twelve  proba- 
tioners and  three  applicants  for  the  ministry,  who  be- 
came members  of  the  conference.  It  was  made  an  inde- 
pendent conference  by  the  General  Conference  of  1908. 

The  first  session  of  the  Pacific  Conference  was  held 
on  August  2,  1906,  at  Mountain  View,  Wash.,  with  Elder 
M.  J.  Carmichael  as  chairman.  There  were  present  at 
this  conference  fifteen  ministers  and  workers,  three  dele- 
gates and  three  applicants  for  the  ministry.  "While  a 
lack  of  experience  was  evidenced  in  this  conference, 
courage,  hope  and  zeal  were  manifested.  Charity  ruled, 
and  God  blessed.  "Work  had  been  opened  up  at  Yakima, 
Mountain  View,  Pleasant  Valley,  and  Bellingham — all  in 
"Washington.  The  preaching  had  awakened  such  interest 
in  the  distinctive  doctrines  of  the  Mennonite  Brethren  in 
Christ  Church,  that  delegates  had  been  elected  to  this 
conference  from  six  places  in  Washington  and  one  point 
in  Oregon.  Only  three,  however,  of  the  seven  delegates 
elected  were  present. 

Before  this  conference  convened,  a  rescue  mission  had 
been  started  in  Bellingham,  Wash.,  which  was  in  charge 

120 


THE  PACIFIC  CONFERENCE. 

of  Mrs.  C.  C.  Green.  This  mission  continued  for  several 
years,  successfully  aiding  the  fallen  to  a  new  life. 

The  workers  who  had  been  raised  up  for  service  in 
the  territory  later  to  become  the  Pacific  Conference 
were,  in  the  main,  3'oung  and  inexperienced,  so  that  it 
was  deemed  necessary  that  something  by  the  way  of  a  defi- 
nite and  systematic  Bible  instruction  should  be  started. 
Accordingly,  a  Bible  School  was  opened  by  Elder  Car- 
michael  in  the  winter  of  1903,  continuing  for  several 
months.  The  interest  was  such  as  to  justify  a  second 
effort  the  following  winter  under  the  leadership  of  El- 
der Jacob  Hygema,  of  the  Nebraska  Conference.  The 
Lord  blessed  abundantly  as  the  Bible  students  were 
led  into  the  deeper  things  of  His  Word.  The  class  con- 
sisted of  seventeen  students,  several  of  whom  are  in  the 
active  work  to-day.  The  course  was  continued  the  next 
winter.  Another  school  of  only  a  short  term  was  con- 
ducted at  Mountain  View,  Washington,  some  years  later 
by  Elder  Hygema. 

In  the  winter  of  1912-1913,  Elder  Jacob  Hygema  con- 
ducted a  Bible  course  at  Yakima.  Again  the  teaching 
of  the  Word  was  appreciated,  and  the  work  strengthened. 
The  next  winter,  Mrs.  Mina  Creasey,  a  woman  of  splen- 
did teaching  ability,  taught  a  second  term  to  a  student 
body  about  the  size  of  that  which  had  attended  the  pre- 
vious winter. 

In  the  winter  of  1916-1917  courses  of  Bible  instruc- 
tion were  given  at  Filer,  Idaho,  and  the  following  win- 
ter at  Yakima,  Wash.,  by  Elder  A.  W.  Barbezat. 

The  first  camp  meeting  held  within  the  territory  of 
the  Pacific  Conference  was  held  at  Ferndale,  Washing- 
ton, prior  to  the  organization  of  the  conference  (1903). 
The  camp,  with  its  plain,  bold  preaching,  which  uncov- 

121 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

ered  sin  and  caused  saints  to  rejoice,  was  quite  a  new 
thing  for  the  people  of  this  community,  and  attracted 
wide  attention.  It  proved  to  be  a  success,  and  was  con- 
tinued regularly  at  the  same  place  for  a  number  of 
years.  Later,  camps  not  so  successful  were  held  at 
Everson  and  Everett,  Washington.  More  recently  a 
somewhat  permanent  camp  has  been  established  at  Moun- 
tain View,  Washington,  and  other  camps  have  been  con- 
ducted almost  annually  at  Yakima,  Washington,  at  Cul- 
ver, Oregon,  and  Filer,  Idaho. 

Prom  the  time  that  the  conference  was  organized, 
home  missions  were  conducted ;  first  in  the  smaller 
towns,  such  as  Yakima,  Ellensburg,  Bellingham,  Pasco, 
Anacortes  and  Everett,  all  in  Washington.  Later  a  mis- 
sion was  started  in  Portland,  Oregon.  Some  of  the 
missions  in  the  smaller  places  either  resulted  in  the  or- 
ganization of  or  the  building  up  of  classes,  but  none 
of  them  have  been  continued  as  missions. 

Though  young,  the  Pacific  Conference  has  manifested 
great  interest  in  foreign  missions.  In  1908  Miss  Frances 
Bechler  was  sent  to  South  America,  where  she  labored 
successfully  in  the  Republic  of  Chile,  in  the  communities 
of  Valdivia  and  Valparaiso.  She  was  called  away  from 
her  faithful  labors  by  death  in  1911.  Preparations  were 
being  made  to  send  Elder  W.  R.  Grout  and  wife  to  Tur- 
key when  the  European  War  broke  out,  closing  the  door 
to  that  field  for  an  indefinite  period  of  time.  Miss 
Myrtle  Williams  and  Miss  Emma  Kinnan  are  working 
in  India. 

For  a  few  years  (1911-1915)  a  conference  periodical 
was  published,  called  The  Gospel  Preacher — first  by  J. 
G.  Grout  and  later  by  M.  J.  Carmichael.     The  circula- 

122 


THE  PACIFIC  CONFERENCE. 

tion  reached  450  subscribers,  but  was  discontinued  in 
1915. 

Considerable  effort  has  been  made  toward  the  circu- 
lation of  religious  books  and  literature.  This  has  been 
carried  on  by  conducting  camp  meeting  book  stands,  by 
house  to  house  canvass  and  by  mail,  from  several  re- 
positories. 

With  but  a  short  history  of  organized  existence,  the 
Pacific  Conference  has  suffered  several  distinct  losses 
by  death.  The  first  to  be  gleaned  by  death,  from  among 
the  active  workers,  was  Elder  0.  F.  Ray.  The  second 
was  Miss  Frances  Bechler,  missionary  to  South  America, 
in  1911.  The  third  was  Mrs.  Arthur  Creasy,  in  1917, 
who  before  her  marriage  was  Miss  Mina  Myers,  who  had 
come  from  the  Nebraska  Conference. 

These  workers  were  capable  and  consecrated.  After 
the  death  of  Miss  Bechler  the  conference  passed  the  fol- 
lowing resolution  in  memoriam : 

"Her  conversations  were  elevating,  her  sermons  in- 
spiring and  her  spirit  excellent.  The  church  feels  the 
loss  of  her  labors,  and  this  conference  wishes  to  express 
its  keenfelt  loss,  which  is  her  eternal  gain.  Although 
dead,  Sister  Frances  Bechler  yet  speaketh." 

Recalling  the  lives  of  these  worthies  who  have  lived 
and  left  their  impress  upon  those  who  knew  them,  the 
words  of  the  poet  are  recalled : 

' '  Heroic  spirit,  take  thy  rest : 

Thou  art  richer :  we  are  poorer. 

Yet  because  thou  hast  been  with  us, 

Life  is  sweeter:  heaven  surer." 

123 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Like  all  young  conferences,  the  Pacific  has  met  its 
difficulties  and  undergone  its  siftings.  Some  who  joined 
its  ranks  as  workers  have  not  been  able  to  withstand  the 
pressure  of  opposition,  which  comes  from  many  sources 
against  a  plain,  uncompromising  Gospel,  and  have  aban- 
doned the  cause.  But  there  remains  a  company  of  work- 
ers, though  comparatively  small,  which  has  been  tested 
and  proven,  whom  God  is  using  to  carry  His  work  for- 
ward. These  loyal  workers  have  set  themselves  defi- 
nitely and  unswervingly  to  their  tasks  which  they  are 
certain  are  God-appointed,  and  by  faith  seem  to  have 
caught  a  glimpse  of  the  golden  day  when  the  tears  of  the 
sowers  and  songs  of  the  reapers  shall  mingle  together  in 
joy. 

Presiding  Elder  Record. 

The  Presiding  Elders  who  have  served  the  Pacific  Con- 
ference are  as  follows : 

M.  J.  Carmiehael,  1906-1907;  1911-1914;  1915-1917; 
1919  to  the  present. 

Homer  J.  Pontius,  1907-1910. 

A.  W.  Barbezat,  1910-1911 ;  1914-1915 ;  1917-1919. 

Ministerial  Roll. 

The  roll  of  ministers  according  to  the  latest  Conference 
Report  is  as  follows: 

Ordained:  M.  J.  Carmiehael,  A.  W.  Barbezat,  E.  W. 
Wilder,  W.  B.  Havens,  Arthur  Creasy,  W.  R.  Grout, 
N.  H.  Payne,  F.  S.  Kagey,  T.  D.  Walker,  J.  G.  Grout, 
H.  J.  Pontius,  S.  H.  Pontius,  C.  L.  Atkinson,  J.  W.  Mor- 
gan* and  E.  H.  Metcilf. 

Probationers:  Fred  Roney,  Steve  Holman,  and  Wiley 
Gillard. 

*  Deceased. 

124 


CHAPTER  XI. 

The  Canadian  North  West  Conference. 

Leaving  Ontario. 

In  April,  1894,  a  little  band  of  Mennonite  Brethren  in 
Christ  decided  to  leave  their  homes  in  Ontario  and 
make  other  homes  for  themselves  in  the  new  and  far  dis- 
tant Canadian  "West. 

A  farewell  service  was  held  for  them  in  the  Kitchener 
M.  B.  C.  Church.  Some  of  the  pioneers  have  informed 
the  writer  that  it  was  more  like  a  funeral  service.  Their 
friends  felt  as  though  they  were  going  out  of  the  world, 
and  the  pastor  grieved  that  he  was  losing  so  much  of 
the  cream  of  his  congregation.  But  the  Lord,  in  His 
all- wise  providence,  knew  that  these  choice  spirits  (and 
others  who  followed  later)  were  just  the  ones  who  were 
needed  to  play  a  part  in  the  future  evangelization  of 
the  Great  West. 

Going  West. 

Weeping  friends  bade  them  a  sorrowful  good-bye, 
thinking  that  thejr  were  going  beyond  the  pale  of  civil- 
ized comfort  to  a  lonely  wilderness  that  might  never 
yield  them  a  living.  With  their  stock  and  household 
effects  they  traveled  through  the  wild  and  rocky  lands 
of  New  Ontario,  crossed  the  vast,  lonely  stretches  of 
prairie  through  Manitoba  and  Saskatchewan,  and  en- 
tered the  foothill  province  of  Alberta.  At  Calgary  they 
turned  northward  for  fifty  miles  and  settled  on  the  banks 
of  the  Rosebud,  in  view  of  the  great  Rocky  Mountain 
Range. 

125 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Living  in  the  Emigrant  Shed. 

By  this  time  the  Indian  tribes  had  all  passed,  as  had 
also  the  explorers,  hunters,  traders,  and  the  countless 
herds  of  Buffalo  that  once  roamed  across  these  mighty 
plains.    It  was  now  ' '  the  Great  Lone  Land. ' ' 

"The  biggest  part  of  Didsbury  in  those  days,"  Pio- 
neer Traub  remarks,  ' '  was  its  name.  There  was  no  sign 
of  a  town ;  only  a  railroad  siding  and  an  emigrant  shed. ' ' 
This  shed  had  only  one  room,  but  it  provided  a  roof  at 
least,  for  which  they  were  thankful.  They  laid  their 
beds  on  the  floor  at  night  and  piled  them  up  out  of  the 
way  in  the  morning.  They  did  not  forget  their  souls' 
needs,  as  so  many  do  in  the  West,  but  held  a  service  the 
very  first  Sunday,  organized  a  Sunday  School  and  an- 
nounced a  weekly  prayer  meeting. 

Pioneer  Days. 

Those  early  days  involved  much  physical  discomfort 
and  self-denial.  All  the  difficulties  and  hardships  of  a 
new  country  lay  before  them.  The  second  day  a  prairie 
fire  started  and  burned  up  the  tent  in  which  two  or 
three  families  were  living  out  on  the  land. 

A  few  days  later  Ephraim  Shantz,  his  wife,  J.  B.  Det- 
wiler  and  others  started  out  to  look  for  suitable  land 
on  which  to  settle.  When  they  had  driven  about  eight 
miles  they  saw  a  prairie  fire  coming  toward  them.  They 
had  only  a  few  broken  matches  with  them,  and  each,  one 
after  another,  refused  to  light.  The  fire  was  now  alarm- 
ingly near,  but  the  last  match  caught  fire,  and  they  were 
able  to  burn  a  little  circle  in  which  to  place  the  wagon. 
They  climbed  in,  placed  the  robe  over  their  heads,  while 
the  fire  raged  on  all  sides  of  them,  and  then  passed  on, 
leaving  them  unharmed.     Thanking  God  for  their  de- 

126 


THE   CANADIAN  NORTH  WEST   CONFERENCE. 

liverance,  they  drove  back  through  the  smoke  and  over 
the  blackened  prairie  to  Didsbury. 

Facing  the  dangers  unflinchingly,  the  little  band  of 
colonists  set  themselves  diligently  to  work,  cleared  the 
brush,  broke  the  virgin  soil  of  the  prairies,  and  in  a 
short  time,  here  and  there  on  the  homesteads,  little 
shacks  could  be  seen  dotting  the  broad  country. 

Didsbury  M.  B.  C.  Church  Built. 

"We  should  have  a  church  before  anything  else," 
urged  Mrs.  Ephraim  Shantz.  So  while  they  built  only 
shacks  for  themselves,  they  decided  to  erect  a  good  sized 
building  for  "the  House  of  the  Lord."  One  day  dur- 
ing the  second  winter,  J.  B.  Detwiler,  Sam.  Troyer 
and  Ephraim  Shantz  started  westward  toward  the  moun- 
tains with  three  or  four  teams,  to  bring  back  logs  for 
the  new  church.  After  going  fifteen  or  twenty  miles,  a 
regular  northwest  blizzard  came  up,  and  they  were 
obliged  to  return  home. 

But  undismayed  by  the  difficulties  and  obstacles,  they 
persevered,  and  when  summer  arrived  the  building  was 
up  and  ready  for  use.  This  was  the  first  church  in  Dids- 
bury, and  with  this  nucleus  of  willing  ones  the  work 
began.  Where  would  Christianity  be  to-day  without  men 
and  women  of  such  strong  and  stable  Christian  char- 
acter ? 

This  church  became  a  center  of  spiritual  life  and 
activity.  Out  from  it  have  gone  preachers,  mission  work- 
ers, evangelists  and  missionaries,  showing  that  the  small- 
est of  beginnings  need  not  be  looked  upon  as  a  reason  for 
discouragement. 


127 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Growth  in  Population. 

Those  were  days  when  the  map  of  Canada  was  still 
rolling  westward.  The  thin,  little  pioneer  stream  trick- 
ling from  the  East  broadened  and  deepened  as  the  years 
passed  by.  Among  the  pioneers  of  1894  were  J.  B.  Det- 
wiler,  Ephraim  Shantz,  Sam.  Troyer,  Jerry  Shantz, 
Levi  Steckley,  A.  Schiedel,  Andrew  Weber  and  their 
families.  Among  those  who  came  later  were  D.  Traub, 
Elias  Shantz,  Abram  Snyder,  Levi  Snyder,  Norman  Sny- 
der, C.  C.  Swalm,  D.  S.  Shantz,  Noah  Eby,  Ben  Eby, 
0.  W.  Stauffer,  S.  S.  Stauffer,  Elah  Shantz,  Josiah  Hall- 
man,  Oliver  Hallman,  Ezra  Shantz,  E.  Sherrick,  Theo. 
Reist,  J.  B.  Good,  Ezra  Snyder,  with  their  families  from 
Ontario.  Wm.  Adam,  James  Adam,  I.  Herber  and  oth- 
ers came  with  their  families  from  Michigan. 

Loneliness  and  the  First  Death. 

But  even  with  this  increase  in  numbers,  the  vast  coun- 
try was  still  thinly  populated.  The  loneliness  in  the  iso- 
lated shacks  on  the  prairie  was  painful.  ' '  Many  a  time, ' ' 
one  sister  relates,  "when  I  felt  downhearted  and  my 
courage  was  low,  I  used  to  stand  in  the  door  of  the 
shack  and  look  away  to  the  mountains.  Some  of  their 
silent  strength  seemed  to  sink  into  my  soul  and  comfort 
me.  They  seemed  so  strong,  so  protecting,  bringing  a 
sense  of  the  nearness  of  God,  and  with  it  the  thought, 
'As  the  mountains  are  round  about  Jerusalem,  so  the 
Lord  is  round  about  his  people,'  which  strengthened  me 
greatly." 

Though  there  were  drawbacks,  disadvantages  and 
much  personal  deprivation,  these  dear  souls  rejoiced  in 
the  encouraging  fact  that  they  had  spiritual  leaders  and 
could  hold  services  regularly.    They  thought  nothing  in 

128 


THE  CANADIAN  NORTH  WEST   CONFERENCE. 

those  days  of  walking  four  or  five  miles  to  a  meeting. 
Others  came  for  miles  in  lumber  wagons,  over  rough 
trails,  through  sloughs,  fording  the  river  often  when 
the  water  was  high.  One  of  the  deacons  tells  that  he 
cut  a  strange  figure  coming  to  church  with  his  long 
plough  boots  and  Prince  Albert  wedding  suit,  sometimes 
getting  stuck  in  the  slough  and  having  to  return  for  a 
team  and  chain  to  pull  his  family  out  of  the  mud.  Nev- 
ertheless "we  enjoyed  those  days,"  says  Mrs.  Norman 
Snyder,  "for  we  had  all  things  in  common,  whether  we 
went  to  church  in  a  buggy,  a  wagon,  on  a  stoneboat  or 
on  horseback."  They  sang  together  the  sweet  old 
hymns,  joined  their  voices  in  prayer  and  the  study  of 
the  word,  which  thrilled  and  inspired  their  hearts. 

One  Sunday  in  1899  the  superintendent,  Elias  Shantz, 
after  reviewing  the  Sunday-school  lesson,  gave  out  the 
hymn,  "We  are  going  down  the  valley  one  by  one." 
Just  then  he  turned  as  though  to  sit  down  on  the  railing, 
but  sank  down  over  it  and  passed  away  immediately. 
This  was  the  first  break  in  the  ranks  of  the  pioneers,  and 
he  was  the  first  to  be  buried  in  the  Didsbury  cemetery. 

Pioneer  Preachers  and  Workers. 

Elder  J.  B.  Detwiler  was  the  pioneer  missionary  of 
the  M.  B.  C.  Church  to  the  Canadian  West.  He  came 
out  with  the  first  party  in  April,  1894.  Money  was 
scarce  in  those  days,  and  if  a  man  gave  twenty-five  or 
fifty  cents  a  quarter  to  the  pastor  he  thought  he  was 
doing  well.  So  Brother  Detwiler  took  up  a  homestead, 
and  also  kept  the  post  office  and  sold  flour  and  lumber 
to  accommodate  the  settlers. 

He  preached  at  Didsbury,  and  also  traveled  in  the 
surrounding  country,  preaching  at  Olds,  Banner,  Hain- 

9  129 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

stock  and  among  the  Russian  Mennonites  with  good  re- 
sults. He  served  as  Presiding  Elder  several  years,  and 
after  spending  seventeen  years  in  pioneer  work  in  Al- 
berta, he  returned  to  Kitchener,  Ontario. 

Elder  J.  Schell  was  sent  out  by  the  Ontario  Confer- 
ence with  the  second  party,  who  came  to  Carstairs  in 
April,  1900.  He  was  given  charge  of  the  Didsbury  work 
and  labored  with  great  zeal  and  energy.  He  was  a  young 
man  of  great  promise,  and  it  meant  much  to  the  little 
band  of  grief-stricken  pilgrims  when,  through  over- 
exposure to  the  cold  and  wet,  his  life  was  suddenly  cut 
short  on  August  12,  1901,  and  his  body  was  laid  to  rest 
in  the  Didsbury  cemetery. 

Elder  Henry  Cressman  was  then  sent  out  by  the  On- 
tario Conference  to  take  charge  of  the  work  at  Didsbury. 
The  new  church  and  parsonage  were  built  in  1902,  while 
he  was  on  this  field.  Later  he  took  up  a  homestead  and 
left  the  work. 

Elder  S.  S.  Stauffer,  who  had  come  from  Ontario  in 
1902,  and  took  a  homestead,  was  now  given  charge  of 
Didsbury,  with  the  assistance  of  Miss  M.  E.  Chatham. 
In  1910  he  moved  to  Alsask,  Sask.,  to  engage  in  farm- 
ing. He  has  assisted  in  the  work  at  Alsask  a  part  of  the 
time  since. 

Miss  M.  E.  Chatham  came  West  from  Ontario  in  1900, 
to  nurse  her  brother,  Elder  E.  Chatham,  through  his  last 
illness.  For  several  years  she  rode  over  these  prairies 
on  her  broncho,  often  in  the  very  coldest  weather,  visit- 
ing and  preaching,  trying  to  hold  the  fort  till  reinforce- 
ments came  from  the  East,  for  several  preachers  who 
had  come  West  were  now  tied  up  on  their  farms. 

Elder  H.  Goudie  came  to  Alberta  in  May,  1906,  and 
after    coming   to    the   West   labored    faithfully,    doing 

130 


THE   CANADIAN  NORTH  WEST   CONFERENCE. 

his  best  to  advance  the  work.  Arriving  at  a  critical 
time  in  the  history  of  this  work,  he  organized  a  mission 
conference,  which  was  under  the  Ontario  Conference, 
from  which  he  was  sent.  In  1907  a  separate  conference 
was  organized  and  the  name,  ' '  Canadian  Northwest  Con- 
ference, ' '  was  adopted.  The  Canadian  North  West  Con- 
ference was  recognized  by  the  General  Conference  of 
1908.  H.  Goudie  was  Presiding  Elder  and  had  charge 
of  the  work  at  Didsbury  from  1908  to  1910.  He  later 
labored  as  pastor  at  Markham  and  Mayton,  and  was 
again  stationed  at  Didsbury  from  1911  to  1915.  He 
served  again  as  Presiding  Elder  from  1915  to  1918,  and 
from  1918  as  pastor  on  the  Markham  field. 

Elder  Alvin  Traub,  son  of  pioneer  Traub,  was  con- 
verted when  a  boy  in  Elmwood,  Ont.  He  was  the  first 
of  our  western  young  men  to  receive  a  call  to  the  work. 
He  started  a  Bible  Study  class  at  the  Buckeye  school, 
preaching  there  and  at  Sunnyslope.  He  was  ordained 
in  1913  and  has  served  as  pastor  at  Markham  and  Alsask. 
He  opened  both  the  Castor  and  Alsask  Missions  and  was 
elected  Presiding  Elder  in  1919. 

Elder  D.  S.  Shantz  came  West  for  his  health  with  the 
pioneers,  and  took  an  active  part  in  Sunday-School  work 
at  Didsbury  for  several  years,  also  doing  some  preach- 
ing. He  was  Presiding  Elder  during  1914-1915,  after 
which  he  had  charge  of  the  work  at  Castor  for  one  year 
and  a  half.  During  the  summer  of  1917  he  had  charge 
of  the  tabernacle  work. 

Miss  M.  A.  White  (now  Mrs.  Finlay)  was  converted 
in  the  old  log  church  at  Didsbury.  Feeling  the  call  of 
God  to  the  work,  she  went  to  Ontario  and  labored  there 
several  years.  In  1907  she  returned  to  the  West.  She 
assisted  Miss  Chatham  in  Edmonton  for  a  number  of 

131 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

years.  Then  feeling  the  call  of  the  needy  prairies,  she 
entered  the  evangelistic  work,  and  has  been  greatly  used 
of  God  in  the  salvation  of  souls. 

Among  other  daughters  of  the  pioneers  who  received 
a  call  to  the  work  and  labored  faithfully  were  Miss 
Louise  Eby,  Miss  Luella  Swalm  (who  died  in  1911), 
Miss  Mabel  Adam  and  Miss  Mabel  Dunnington.  Miss 
Eby  and  Miss  Adam  (now  Mrs.  C.  Thompson)  assisted 
Miss  Chatham  for  several  years  in  Edmonton,  and  also 
opened  a  mission  in  Stettler.  Miss  Dunnington  labored 
in  the  evangelistic  work  with  Miss  White,  and  in  Febru- 
ary, 1919,  went  with  Miss  Eby  to  open  a  mission  in 
Calgary. 

Elder  J.  F.  Gugin  came  from  Ontario  in  1908  and 
was  given  charge  of  Didsbury  Circuit.  His  health  fail- 
ing him  in  1911,  he  went  to  Sibbald,  Alta.,  and  took  up  a 
homestead.  In  1917  he  again  felt  the  Lord  pressing  him 
into  the  work  and  was  sent  to  Castor,  where  the  Lord 
greatly  blessed  his  efforts.  In  1919  he  again  became 
pastor  on  the  Didsbury  field. 

Aggressive  Work  for  the  Cause. 

After  the  work  was  established  at  Didsbury,  the 
church  faced  the  duty  of  evangelizing  some  of  the  region 
round  about. 

Mayton. — J.  B.  Detwiler  had  already  been  touring 
the  surrounding  country,  preaching  at  points  that  could 
be  reached  from  Didsbury.  He  and  S.  S.  Stauffer  went 
twenty-five  miles  northeast  and  held  meetings  at  May- 
ton.  Later  Harvey  Traub  went  there,  held  a  successful 
revival,  and  a  work  was  established.  Miss  Chatham,  H. 
Goudie,  and  E.  Sherrick  labored  on  this  field.  I.  Burk- 
holder  later  was  assigned  this  charge. 

132 


THE   CANADIAN   NORTH  WEST   CONFERENCE. 

Markham. — In  the  spring  of  1906  another  band  of 
pioneers  came  from  Markham,  Ontario,  among  whom 
were  I.  Burkholder,  Joseph  Wideman,  Wilmot  Wideman, 
Oliver  Zellar,  Michael  Troyer,  David  Weaver,  Clarence 
Stouffer,  Will  Dunnington,  Eb.  Dimnington  with  their 
families.  As  all  the  land  was  taken  up  around  Dids- 
bury  by  this  time,  they  went  northeast  to  Castor  and 
settled  there.  They  experienced  all  the  difficulties  of 
pioneer  life,  as  did  the  early  settlers  at  Didsbury.  But 
the  blessing  of  the  Lord  was  upon  them,  and  soon  they 
had  a  nice  little  church,  which  they  called  ' '  Markham, ' ' 
after  their  old  home  in  the  East.  Elder  W.  Irish,  hav- 
ing accompanied  them  from  Ontario,  was  their  pastor. 
After  a  time  he  went  into  business  and  left  the  work. 
The  work  spread  under  the  pastors  who  followed,  and 
several  preaching  appointments  were  opened. 

Beulah  Mission,  Edmonton. — In  1907  Miss  Chatham 
received  permission  from  conference  to  go  to  Edmonton 
to  open  a  mission  there.  As  the  church  was  unable  at 
that  time  to  give  her  much  assistance  financially,  it  was 
thought  best  to  make  it  an  interdenominational  work. 

The  story  of  the  beginning  of  the  work  there  is  best 
told  in  Miss  Chatham's  own  words:  "Those  first  days 
in  Edmonton  will  always  have  a  vivid  place  in  my  mem- 
ory— a  slim  purse,  a  few  friends,  and  nothing  great  about 
us  save  a  'big  motive'  to  serve  God  and  our  fellowmen 
to  the  utmost  that  in  us  lay.  There  was  the  conviction 
that  God's  hand  was  upon  us  for  some  special  thing  we 
had  to  do.  Squalid  rooms  were  taken  on  Peace  Avenue. 
We  spread  a  newspaper  on  the  floor,  and  knelt  down 
amid  old  clothes,  bottles,  decks  of  cards,  etc.,  and  sol- 
emnly covenanted  with  God  that  He  should  have  all 
there  was  of  us,  if  He  would  make  us  a  blessing  in  this 

133 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

place.  There  came  to  us  a  vision,  as  we  scrubbed  and 
cleaned,  of  the  sick  cared  for,  the  hungry  fed,  the 
stranger  welcomed,  and  lost  men  and  women  redeemed 
from  sin.  All  this  pressed  upon  us  as  a  need  to  be  met 
in  this  young  and  growing  city. 

"And  so  we  began — Miss  Clara  Schafer  and  myself. 
We  cooked,  cleaned  and  served  in  the  daytime,  and  at 
night  held  Gospel  services.  God  blessed  us  above  our 
asking:  above  our  thinking  has  He  blessed  us.  Again 
and  again  have  we  seen  the  miracle  of  men  and  women 
changed  by  grace  divine." 

Relief  work  among  men  was  also  carried  on  for  years 
with  great  success,  until  the  war  and  prohibition  elimi- 
nated the  need  of  this  department. 

Beulah  Home  was  established  in  1910,  and  is  proving 
a  haven  of  refuge  and  a  door  of  hope  to  many  a  friend- 
less, broken-hearted  girl.  Many  have  found  the  Saviour 
and  gone  out  to  take  their  place  in  the  ranks  of  good  and 
noble  women.  It  is  an  undenominational  work,  sup- 
ported in  part  by  the  city. 

In  1919  Miss  Chatham  was  obliged  to  abandon  the 
work  partly  because  of  ill  health,  and  the  mission  in 
Edmonton  became  somewhat  disorganized.  The  Edmon- 
ton Bible  School,  which  she  had  organized,  was  also 
closed  the  same  year.  The  work  of  Beulah  Home  con- 
tinues. 

Alsask. — In  the  spring  of  1910  the  country  around 
Alsask  began  to  open  up,  and  many  came  from  Didsbury 
to  get  land  for  their  sons  who  were  now  old  enough  to 
take  homesteads.  Among  the  pioneers  to  this  place  were 
Noah  Eby,  Oliver  Hallman,  S.  S.  Stauffer,  Robert  Loug- 
heed,  Noah  Swalm  and  "Wesley  Hallman.    Elder  James 

134 


THE  CANADIAN  NORTH  WEST   CONFERENCE. 

Hall  came  at  this  time  and  was  their  pastor.  We  shall 
let  Brother  Hall  tell  the  story  in  his  own  words: 

"We  started  overland  from  Didsbury  with  horses, 
colts  and  loaded  wagons;  were  eight  days  on  the  road, 
driving  straight  east  for  over  two  hundred  miles,  with 
a  dim  trail  part  of  the  way  and  often  none  at  all.  It 
snowed,  rained,  the  wind  blew  and  at  other  times  we 
had  hot  sunshine.  There  were  prairie  fires  all  about  us. 
We  stopped  for  the  night  where  we  could  find  water. 
We  had  a  little  tent  6x8  feet  for  the  party ;  we  had  to 
put  the  stove  out  before  we  could  all  lie  down.  Every 
morning  we  read  and  had  prayer.  On  Sunday  we  rested 
and  held  a  service.  This  was  the  first  time  I  ever 
preached  a  sermon  on  my  knees,  for  I  couldn't  stand 
up  in  the  tiny  tent,  and  my  congregation  all  had  to  lie 
down.  The  first  Sunday  after  we  reached  our  destina- 
tion, Mr.  Gugin  went  on  horseback  twenty  miles  to  in- 
vite people  from  the  shacks  we  saw  in  the  dim  distance, 
to  come  to  meeting  in  the  tent.  They  came,  but  couldn't 
all  get  in,  so  we  placed  a  plank  in  the  open  and  preached 
in  the  sunshine.  Seven  men,  one  woman,  a  boy  and  a 
girl  formed  the  congregation,  and  the  Lord  blessed  us. 

' '  When  we  started  out  to  find  land  we  discovered  that 
it  was  very  hard  to  find,  even  when  there  was  much  of  it 
all  about  us.  We  had  to  hunt  in  the  grass  for  a  small 
stake  at  the  corner  of  every  section.  We  learned  to  tie 
a  handkerchief  to  the  wagon  wheel  so  we  could  count  the 
revolutions  between  the  stakes,  and  soon  were  able  in 
this  way  to  tell  pretty  well  where  the  next  stake 
should  be." 

Alsask  was  not  even  named  yet,  there  being  nothing 
here  but  a  store  one  week  old.    Mrs.  Hall,  who  was  Miss 

135 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Janet  Douglas,  a  very  successful  pioneer  mission  worker 
in  Ontario,  under  whose  labors  both  Miss  Chatham  and 
Mr.  Hall  were  converted,  came  in  June  with  their  two 
sons,  and  they  all  went  out  to  their  homestead.  "It 
didn't  look  much  like  home,"  said  Sister  Hall,  "and  at 
first  we  had  to  go  and  look  for  the  stakes  to  see  if  it 
really  was  home.  The  ground  was  covered  with  buffalo 
bones,  and  it  was  a  gruesome-looking  sight. ' '  She  let  out 
her  hens,  which  had  been  three  weeks  in  a  crate.  But 
even  the  hens  did  not  feel  at  home.  They  stretched 
themselves,  took  one  look  over  the  desolate  wilderness, 
and  then  climbed  up  on  the  crate  and  sat  there. 

Less  than  a  month  later  an  awful  wind  storm  came 
and  blew  away  the  shacks  of  some  of  the  settlers — Noah 
Swalm's  among  them.  George  Gugin  stood  on  the  door- 
sill  of  his  shack  to  try  to  hold  it  down,  but  was  carried 
away  with  the  shack,  and  his  spine  was  injured.  The 
neighbors  soon  built  him  a  sod  house,  but  he  died  in  ten 
days.     This  was  the  first  funeral. 

Though  Brother  Hall  took  up  land,  he  did  not  forget 
his  call  to  preach.  The  first  services  were  held  in  Wright 
Speer's  house,  and  then  for  two  years  in  Noah  Eby's 
home.  A  Sunday  School  was  organized.  Then  the  "West 
Side  school  was  built,  and  has  been  used  for  services 
since  that  time.  Brother  Hall  walked  fourteen  miles 
each  Sunday  to  his  appointments,  often  getting  off  the 
trail,  the  snow  often  a  foot  deep  and  no  track  to  be  seen. 
But  the  house  was  crowded  and  they  had  grand  meetings. 

In  the  spring  of  1912  he  opened  an  appointment  at 
Graindale,  sixteen  miles  from  home,  driving  at  first  in 
his  wagon  and  afterward  in  a  drygoods  box  fixed  up  on 
a  stoneboat.  Two  good  Sunday  Schools  were  organized, 
one  here  and  another  at  Edendale,  where  he  opened 

136 


THE  CANADIAN  NORTH  WEST  CONFERENCE. 

another  appointment.  Hopewell  appointment  was  also 
opened,  and  the  work  at  these  points  was  successful. 

Mrs.  Hall  was  also  at  work.  She  opened  a  Sunday 
School  in  her  own  home,  where  it  was  held  for  three 
years.  It  is  now  the  Bonny  Brier  Sunday  School.  She 
has  held  a  prayer  meeting  for  years,  driving  nine  miles 
every  week  with  a  neighbor  woman,  the  nights  often 
being  so  dark  they  could  not  see  the  trail,  and  had  to 
get  out  and  feel  around  for  it. 

In  1913  Brother  Hall  took  up  an  appointment  at  Ac- 
cadia  Valley,  and  in  1914  opened  two  more — Highland 
Park  and  Sibbald.  In  December,  1915,  he  turned  over 
Highland  Park,  Sibbald  and  Westside  to  Elder  A.  Traub, 
who  was  sent  by  conference  to  what  is  known  now  as  the 
Alsask  field.  In  1919  the  Hopewell  appointment  was 
also  added  to  this  field. 

The  Darker  Side. 

Though  God  sees  the  end  from  the  beginning,  and  this 
scattering  of  forces  was  for  the  future  benefit  of  the 
work,  yet  for  a  number  of  years  there  were  some  dark 
factors  in  the  problem  of  the  spiritual  work  which  gave 
the  pilgrims  great  concern  and  grave  reason  for  earnest 
prayer. 

The  emigration  to  Alsask  had  divided  and  weakened 
their  spiritual  forces  at  Didsbury.  This  had  a  tendency 
to  discourage  some,  while  others  settled  down  into  spir- 
itual lethargy.  A  withering  of  the  population  was  one 
thing,  but  a  withering  of  the  faith  was  a  much  more 
serious  problem  to  consider. 

Another  factor  they  had  to  reckon  with  was  the  spirit 
of  unrest  which  possessed  the  West  so  often.  No  sooner 
were  new  families  moved  in  and  the  work  progressing 

137 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

nicely,  than  there  was  an  upheaval  and  a  scattering 
again. 

One  of  the  really  perilous  factors  they  had  to  en- 
counter was  the  materialistic  condition  of  those  days. 
Men  had  to  struggle  for  an  existence,  and  try  to  place 
themselves  in  a  position,  financially,  where  they  could 
live  in  some  degree  of  comfort.  So  much  effort  was  spent 
in  this  direction  that  the  spiritual  work  suffered. 

Lack  of  efficient  men  to  assume  responsibilities  in  the 
directing  of  the  work,  and  in  giving  leadership  to  the 
people  was  another  factor  which  must  be  put  down  on 
the  dark  side.  This  conference  still  looked  to  the  East 
as  the  great  center  from  which  spiritual  forces  must 
come,  and  as  no  more  were  forthcoming,  it  was  feared 
that  the  work  would  wither  and  die.  For  a  time  there 
was  no  enlargement  of  the  field  of  operations ;  only  an 
earnest  endeavor  to  hold  the  ground  already  gained. 
More  could  not  well  have  been  expected  of  the  limited 
number  of  workers. 

Missionary  Effort. 

It  is  on  record  that  this  conference  showed  a  marked 
interest  in  foreign  missions,  by  frequent  contributions, 
from  the  time  of  their  first  conference. 

When  Elder  Henry  Maurer,  of  the  Hadjin,  Turkey 
Mission,  was  shot  in  the  massacre  of  1909,  an  appeal  was 
made  for  a  man  to  take  his  place.  D.  C.  Eby,  of  On- 
tario, offered  himself  for  that  work.  This  conference, 
having  no  foreign  missionaries  as  yet,  offered  to  take  up 
his  support,  and  Mrs.  Eby  and  he  were  sent  out  to  Tur- 
key in  February,  1910,  where  they  labored  until  forced 
to  return  on  account  of  the  war.  They  came  to  the 
Canadian  West  in  1915,  and  were  stationed  on  the  Dids- 

138 


THE   CANADIAN  NORTH  WEST   CONFERENCE. 

bury  Circuit  for  three  years,  after  which  they  were  sent 
to  Alsask,  Sask.  In  August,  1919,  they  sailed  again  for 
Turkey,  taking  up  the  work  which  had  been  discontinued 
because  of  the  war.  On  account  of  unsettled  conditions 
in  Turkey,  they  were  obliged  to  return  to  Canada  late 
in  1920. 

Win.  Finlay  and  Miss  Florence  Adam  were  the  first 
of  the  western  young  people  to  offer  themselves  as  can- 
didates for  the  foreign  field.  For  years  Brother  Finlay 
had  assisted  Miss  Chatham  in  the  relief  work  among 
men,  which  was  carried  on  in  connection  with  Beulah 
Mission,  Edmonton.  His  untiring  efforts  were  much  ap- 
preciated, and  the  lives  of  scores  of  men  were  trans- 
formed. He  was  ready  to  sail  for  Africa  in  April,  1917, 
but,  owing  to  the  war  and  the  difficulty  of  securing  a 
passage  on  any  steamer,  he  was  unable  to  get  away  until 
November,  1918,  when  he,  with  his  wife  (formerly  Miss 
Florence  Adam),  sailed  for  Jebba,  Northern  Nigeria, 
West  Africa. 

Problem  of  the  Foreigner  at  Home. 

Here  lies  one  of  the  greatest  Home  Mission  fields  of 
the  world.  Pioneers  of  many  races  and  tongues  have 
crossed  these  wide  plains,  seeking  homes  and  wealth  in 
this  vast  new  land. 

The  present  calls  loudly  to  action.  The  church  must 
feel  her  responsibility,  but  as  yet  has  done  very  little 
for  these  foreigners  who  have  come  to  us  from  almost 
every  part  of  the  globe.  It  will  tax  the  energy  and  re- 
sources of  our  church  to  do  her  share  in  meeting  the 
spiritual  demands  of  these  people. 

Already  God  has  called  some  to  this  work.  H.  I.  Ed- 
wardson  has  spent  several  years  in  service  among  the 

139 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Scandinavians  at  Bergen,  Alta.  His  wife  (formerly 
Miss  Hilli  Suven)  often  assisted  Miss  White  in  Evan- 
gelistic services. 

R.  Craddick  has  done  some  work  among  the  Indians — 
the  first  Canadians — for  whom  we  should  be  doing  some- 
thing. The  Calgary  Mission  (Bethel)  which  was  con- 
ducted for  a  time  reached  some  of  the  foreign  element 
there. 

Encouraging  Factors. 

It  will  take  years  of  constructive  work  to  eliminate 
many  of  the  difficulties,  but  the  West  is  a  splendid  field 
for  producing  the  finest  characters,  developing  courage 
and  initiative,  and  should  produce  spiritual  leaders  for 
the  future. 

The  service  rendered  by  the  Edmonton  Bible  Insti- 
tute, which  was  established  by  Miss  Chatham  in  1915,  is 
of  significance  and  importance.  It  is  an  occasion  for 
regret  that  circumstances  forced  the  closing  of  this  school 
in  1919,  for  it  was  developing  workers.  Already  some 
of  its  graduates  and  students  were  in  the  field :  Wilmer 
Reist,  Ray  Craddick,  Eldon  Cressman,  H.  I.  Edwardson, 
Dougal  Campbell,  M.  Dunnington,  L.  Wolf.  Others  who 
had  attended  are:  Herbert  Shantz,  Miss  P.  Reist,  Miss 
V.  Herber,  Loy  Hart,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  S.  Eidsath.  From 
among  these  young  people  who  are  keen  and  alert  in 
mind,  consecrated  to  high  ideals  of  service  and  sacrifice, 
should  come  some  of  the  future  history-makers  of  the 
church. 

Some  of  our  young  brethren  had  their  loyalty  to  the 
church  and  its  doctrine  of  non-resistance  severely  tested 
during  1917-1918,  but  the  military  authorities  kindly 
granted  exemption  from  military  service  to  all  who  were 
members  of  the  church  before  they  were  called. 

140 


THE  CANADIAN  NORTH  WEST  CONFERENCE. 

New  fields  are  being  opened,  and  the  Gospel  in  its 
simplicity  and  power  is  finding  its  way  into  many  needy 
homes  over  these  prairies.  A  tabernacle  was  purchased 
in  1914,  and  has  been  used  since  with  good  results. 

In  1917  Win.  Finlay  was  sent  to  open  a  work  at  Big 
Valley,  where  W.  Reist  was  later  placed  in  charge. 

A  successful  campaign  was  conducted  with  the  taber- 
nacle in  the  district  north  of  Castor  during  the  summer 
of  1918,  by  Wm.  Finlay  and  J.  F.  Gugin,  assisted  by 
Mrs.  Finlay,  Z.  Cressman,  and  C.  Hallman.  A  new 
work  was  opened  up  here  adjoining  the  Castor  field, 
where  R.  Craddick  labored  in  connection  with  the  Elder 
Henry  Goudie,  the  pastor. 

In  1918  three  new  appointments  were  opened  on  the 
outskirts  of  the  Didsbury  field.  Another  encouraging 
feature  is  the  Annual  Camp  Meeting,  where  the  pilgrims 
from  distant  points  meet  together,  and  are  strengthened 
and  encouraged.  Since  1915  two  camp  meetings  have 
been  held  each  summer. 

Elder  J.  F.  Gugin  states,  that  in  1910  there  was  not  a 
holiness  camp  meeting  from  Winnipeg  to  Vancouver, 
except  the  M.  B.  C.  camp  meeting,  and  very  few  places 
where  holiness  was  taught  or  considered.  Frequently 
ministers  of  other  churches  are  met  who  publicly  ac- 
knowledge the  help  they  have  gotten  from  these  camp 
meetings. 

On  February  9,  1919,  Bethel  Mission  was  opened  in 
Calgary  in  a  section  of  the  city  which  is  largely  foreign. 
Misses  L.  Eby  and  M.  Neil,  assisted  by  L.  Wolff,  were 
placed  in  charge  of  this  mission.  This  mission  was  closed 
in  1920. 

Elder  C.  T.  Homuth  was  transferred  from  Ontario 
Conference  to  this  Conference  in  January,  1919,  and  was 

141 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

made  pastor  at  Alsask  that  year,  succeeding  D.  C.  Eby, 
who,  together  with  his  wife,  returned  to  Turkey  that 
year. 

The  following  statistics  are  taken  from  the  Annual 
Conference  Journal  of  1920: 

Ordained    Ministers 8       Appointments    21 

Probationers    3       Sunday    Schools 11 

Approved  Ministering  Sis-  Total    Membership 349 

ters   4  Total  Annual  Offer- 
Applicants   for   Ministry..  1           ings    $14,806.33 

Conclusion. 

At  the  close,  as  we  look  back  over  the  road  traveled 
by  these  pioneers,  and  take  note  of  the  different  stages 
of  the  journey,  we  see  how  the  Lord  has  led  step  by  step. 
Compare  the  situation  as  it  confronted  the  pioneers  in 
1894  with  the  conditions  of  to-day.  Many  of  them  had 
nothing  but  their  faith  in  God  and  His  divine  promises. 
Now  a  large  proportion  of  our  people  live  in  compara- 
tive comfort,  have  their  church  services,  Sunday  schools 
and  prayer  meetings. 

This  one  time  wilderness  home  of  the  buffalo  and  In- 
dian is  now  the  great  granary  of  the  West.  Most  of  the 
buffalo  trails  have  been  ploughed  and  harrowed  out  of 
existence,  and  the  ranch  is  fast  giving  way  to  the  farm. 
It  is  said  that  the  history  of  the  Canadian  West  is  little 
more  than  begun,  a  country  so  vast  in  extent,  so  rich  in 
resources  that  few  have  begun  to  realize  the  limitless 
possibilities  of  both  the  material  and  spiritual  realms. 
The  golden  harvest  of  ungathered  souls  should  cause  the 
church  to  concentrate  her  attention  on  this  need,  and 
pray  the  Lord  of  the  Harvest  to  send  forth  a  sufficient 
number  of  reapers. 

142 


THE   CANADIAN  NORTH  WEST   CONFERENCE. 

With  a  few  words  from  Presiding  Elder  A.  Traub 
we  conclude  this  sketch:  "At  the  sacrifice  of  comfort, 
property  and  life  on  the  part  of  our  spiritual  ancestors, 
our  church  has  been  launched  forth  into  the  work  as  a 
soul-saving  institution.  We  therefore  are  responsible 
both  to  God  and  man  for  the  doctrines  and  principles 
which  are  to  us  a  precious  heritage.  Sham  religion,  false 
doctrine  and  destructive  criticism  have  been  the  chief 
cause  of  the  spiritual  dearth  and  moral  declension  which 
is  characteristic  of  the  times  in  which  we  live.  Unless 
we,  as  a  church,  specialize  and  insist  on  the  necessity  of 
holiness  of  heart  and  life,  received  by  faith  right  here 
and  now,  we  shall  be  shorn  of  spiritual  power.  The  old- 
fashioned  doctrines  of  sin,  eternal  punishment,  judg- 
ment, repentance,  the  new  birth,  justification,  faith,  the 
witness  of  the  spirit,  sanctification,  etc.,  are  essential, 
though  not  popular  themes  to  preach. 

"Let  us  humbly  beseech  the  Almighty  for  a  fresh 
anointing  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  without  which  we  can 
neither  face  the  issue  nor  meet  the  demands  of  the  times. 
May  He  save  us,  as  a  church,  from  such  a  calamity  as 
spiritual  barrenness ! ' ' 

Ministerial  Roll. 

The  ministers  of  the  Conference  at  its  last  session  were 
as  follows: 

A.  Traub,  H.  Goudie,  Jas.  Hall,  C.  T.  Homuth,  J.  F. 
Gugin,  I.  Burkholder,  D.  S.  Shantz,  A.  Geiger,  H.  Ed- 
wardson,  S.  S.  Stauffer,  D.  C.  Eby,  Wm.  Finlay,  Wilmer 
Reist. 


143 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

THE  CALL  OF  THE  WEST. 
Mrs.  D.  C.  Eby. 

Hark!    O'er  the  waves  of  her  prairie  grass 

Our  Canadian  West  is  calling ; 
In  many  a  tongue  her  voice  is  heard ; 

Brother,  the  need  is  appalling ! 

Great  are  the  stretches  of  Prairie  Land; 

So  vast,  mysterious,  compelling; 
But  greater  the  need  in  the  hearts  of  men, 

On  the  boundless  prairie  dwelling. 

You  who  have  passed  by  a  western  way, 

As  the  evening  shadows  fall, 
And  softly  the  prairie  winds  whisper — 

Haven't  you  heard  the  calif 

Not  the  call  of  the  ripening  grain, 

As  in  golden  waves  it  rolls ; 
But  the  call  of  the  Master  for  reapers 

For  the  harvest  of  ungathered  souls. 


144 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Practical  and  Doctrinal  Developments. 

That  it  was  the  intention  of  those  who  gave  leadership 
to  the  original  movements  which  finally  resulted  in  the 
Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ  Church  to  adhere  to  the 
fundamentals  of  the  Christian  faith  as  interpreted  by 
historic  Mennonitism,  there  can  be  no  doubt.  It  is  evi- 
dent, however,  that  they,  at  the  same  time,  purposed  to 
breathe  into  these  doctrinal  tenets  an  evangelical  spirit 
superior  to  that  in  general  practice  on  the  part  of  those 
professing  them. 

As  related  in  Chapter  II,  when  the  New  Mennonites 
and  Reformed  Mennonites  merged  to  form  the  United 
Mennonites  in  1875,  a  resolution  prepared  by  a  joint 
committee,  representing  both  societies  was  adopted, 
which  read  as  follows: 

"We  agree  on  the  Word  of  God  as  contained  in  the 
Old  and  New  Testaments  and  a  synopsis  of  the  Word  of 
God  as  contained  in  the  eighteen  articles  of  the  Confes- 
sion of  Faith  drawn  up  by  the  Union  Conference  held  at 
Dort  (Dortrecht),  Holland,  April  21,  1632,  as  a  basis 
of  Union."  This  conference  referred  to,  held  in  Dort, 
Holland,  was  a  Mennonite  Conference,  and  the  Dort 
Confession  is  the  historic  confession  of  the  faith  of  Men- 
nonites. Having  been  adopted  in  Holland  in  1632,  it 
was  ratified  in  1660  by  the  churches  of  Alsace  and  South 
Germany,  and  later  introduced  into  the  early  colonial 
Mennonite  Church  of  America. 

10  145 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Further,  as  related  in  Chapter  IV,  the  Evangelical 
Mennonites  of  Pennsylvania  considered  themselves  as 
adherents  of  the  Mennonite  faith.  In  their  Doctrine  of 
Faith  and  Discipline,  drawn  up  in  1858,  the  following 
statement  appears :  "  It  is  our  sincere  wish  to  take  the 
simple  and  secure  Bible  way,  as  Christ,  the  Apostles 
and  Menno  Simons  have  taught. ' ' 

The  following  is  an  epitome  of  the  Dort  Confession 
above  referred  to : 

Brief  Epitome  op  the  Dort  Confession. 

1.  There  is  one  eternal  God,  Father,  Son  and  Holy 
Ghost,  Creator  of  all  things. 

2.  Adam  and  Eve,  our  first  parents,  seduced  by  the 
serpent,  disobeyed  God,  and  brought  sin  and  death 
into  the  world. 

3.  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son,  foreordained  to  the  purpose, 
before  the  foundation  of  the  world,  became  a  ran- 
som for  fallen  man. 

4.  Christ,  in  fullness  of  time,  was  born  of  the  Virgin 
Mary,  lived,  was  crucified,  buried,  rose  from  the 
dead  and  ascended  to  heaven.  How  the  Word  be- 
came Flesh  we  content  ourselves  with  the  descrip- 
tion given  us  by  the  faithful  evangelists. 

5.  Christ,  before  his  ascension,  instituted  His  New 
Testament  which  contains  the  whole  will  of  His 
Heavenly  Father,  and  which  is  sufficient  to  the 
salvation  of  all  those  who  are  obedient  to  it. 

6.  Man  is  in  nature  corrupt,  and  it  is  only  through 
faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  the  new  birth  and  change  of 
life,  that  he  can  have  the  promise  of  salvation,  re- 
ceive pardon  and  become  sanctified,  justified  and  a 
child  of  God. 

146 


PRACTICAL  AND  DOCTRINAL  DEVELOPMENTS. 

7.  Penitent  believers,  on  confession  of  their  faith,  are 
baptized  with  water  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  Son 
and  Holy  Ghost  to  the  burying  of  their  sins. 

8.  The  church  of  Christ  consists  of  those  who  have 
truly  repented  and  rightly  believed,  and  are  rightly 
baptized,  and  are  incorporated  into  the  communion 
of  the  saints  on  earth. 

9.  Christ  before  His  departure,  and  His  apostles  after 
Him,  provided  the  church  with  faithful  officers, 
bishops,  ministers,  apostles,  evangelists,  pastors, 
teachers  and  almoners. 

10.  The  Lord's  Supper  is  observed  in  commemoration 
of  the  suffering  and  death  of  Christ. 

11.  The  Lord  Jesus  instituted  the  ordinance  of  the 
washing  of  the  saints '  feet  as  a  sign  of  true  humility, 
and  more  particularly  as  a  sign  of  the  washing  of 
the  soul  in  the  blood  of  Christ. 

12.  The  honorable  state  of  matrimony,  as  instituted  by 
God  and  taught  by  the  church,  demands  that  those 
entering  the  state  should,  previous  to  their  mar- 
riage, be  united  to  the  church,  having  received  the 
same  baptism,  belong  to  the  same  church,  and  be 
of  the  same  faith  and  doctrine. 

13.  Civil  government  is  ordained  of  God  for  the  pun- 
ishment of  the  wicked  and  for  the  protection  of 
the  pious.  Christians  should  pray  for  their  rulers 
and  pay  required  tribute. 

14.  Revenge  and  resistance  is  forbidden  by  Christ  to 
all  His  disciples.  The  Christian  should  refrain 
from  the  use  of  the  sword. 

In.  All  oaths,  high  and  low,  are  forbidden  the  followers 
of  Christ. 

147 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

16.  The  ban  of  excommunication  is  a  separation  or 
spiritual  punishment  by  the  church  for  the  amend- 
ment, and  not  the  destruction  of  the  offender. 

17.  Those  placed  under  the  ban  shall  be  shunned  or 
avoided  in  "eating  and  drinking  and  all  such  like 
social  matters,"  in  order  that  they  may  be  made 
ashamed,  and  thus  induced  to  amend  their  ways. 

18.  At  the  Judgment  Day  all  men  shall  be  raised  from 
the  dead  and  appear  before  the  judgment  seat  of 
Christ,  where  the  good  shall  be  separated  from  the 
evil. 

The  Amish,  the  Old  Mennonites  and  the  Central  Con- 
ference of  Mennonites  still  hold  to  the  above  confession 
as  their  articles  of  faith.  Other  branches  have  modi- 
fied their  doctrines,  so  that  they  conform  only  in  part 
to  the  items  of  this  confession.  The  M.  B.  C.  Church 
retains  all  these  items,  in  substance,  in  her  Confession 
of  Faith  as  found  in  the  Discipline,  except  article  17. 
To  these,  other  items  have  been  added,  relating  to  both 
faith  and  practice,  as  are  indicated  by  this  chapter. 

For  a  thorough  study  of  the  Dort  Confession  the  com- 
plete text  of  confession  is  recommended. 

Camp  Meetings. 

One  of  the  earliest  innovations  on  Mennonite  practice 
was  the  institution  of  the  camp  meeting.  This  seems  to 
have  been  the  natural  outcome  of  the  evangelical  zeal 
manifested  by  the  church.  When  it  was  said  by  the 
accusers  in  Canada,  that  these  zealous  people  had  intro- 
duced prayer  meetings  and  revival  services,  and  next 
they  would  hold  camp  meetings,  Solomon  Eby  had  an- 

148 


PRACTICAL  AND  DOCTRINAL  DEVELOPMENTS. 

swered  that  whenever  they  felt  that  the  holding  of  camp 
meetings  would  be  as  beneficial  as  these,  they  would 
likely  be  held  too.  This  time  came  soon,  for  camp  meet- 
ings were  begun  before  the  union  of  1883. 

The  first  camp  meeting  held  by  the  church  and,  inci- 
dentally, the  first  one  ever  held  in  the  history  of  Men- 
nonitism,  was  conducted  in  Fetter's  Grove,  Elkhart 
County,  Indiana,  beginning  July  30,  1880,  and  continued 
ten  days.  This  meeting  was  well  attended,  there  being 
nineteen  well-filled  tents  upon  the  ground.  It  was  esti- 
mated that  three  thousand  persons  attended  the  meet- 
ing on  each  of  Sundays.  Besides  the  ministers  from 
Indiana,  Elder  Jonas  Musselman  and  Abel  Strawn  and 
several  of  the  laity  from  Pennsylvania  and  Elder  Menno 
Bowman,  of  Canada,  were  present.  The  services  were 
conducted  principally  on  the  line  of  holiness,  and  it  was 
reported  that  "many  entered  into  the  higher  life  or 
blessed  state  of  sanctification. >n 

This  was  a  historic  gathering  in  a  number  of  respects. 
It  was  the  first  camp  meeting  in  the  history  of  Mennon- 
itism,  and  was  considered  very  successful.  The  insti- 
tution had  come  to  stay,  as  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that 
a  camp  was  held  at  the  same  place  the  next  year,  also 
one  near  Coopersburg,  Pa.,  called  the  Chestnut  Hill 
Camp  Meeting,  and  one  at  Breslau,  Ontario.  Ever  since, 
the  summer  camp  has  been  an  important  factor  in  pro- 
moting the  work  of  the  Lord  entrusted  to  the  M.  B.  C. 
Church.  Every  summer  there  have  been  conducted 
from  one  to  three  camps  in  each  of  the  seven  conferences 
of  the  church.  Although  the  camps  have  been  held  in 
suitable  groves  available,  several  of  the  various  confer- 


Gospel  Banner,  August  15,  1880,  p.  124. 

149 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

ences  have  secured  permanent  grounds,  and  others  have 
taken  steps  toward  permanent  locations  for  camps,  either 
by  lease  or  by  purchase. 

Sunday  Schools. 

Sunday  schools  were  not  general  among  Mennonites 
in  the  days  of  the  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ  organi- 
zation, but  began  early  to  be  looked  upon  as  an  important 
factor  in  advancing  the  Lord 's  work.  In  this  conviction, 
at  the  first  Union  Conference  in  1875,  the  following 
resolution  was  passed:  "Resolved,  That  Sunday  Schools 
shall  be  organized  and  supported  by  all  our  power."2 

The  General  Conference  of  1888  recommended  that 
Sunday-School  conventions  be  held  in  the  different  con- 
ferences. 

It  has  been  the  endeavor  to  establish  Sunday  Schools 
in  connection  with  all  the  preaching  points,  and  fre- 
quently the  Sunday  School  has  been  the  forerunner  of 
organized  churches. 

Women  Preaching. 

Until  the  year  1885  women  preaching  was  unheard 
of  in  connection  with  the  church.  No  provision  had  been 
made  for  such  a  deviation  from  the  former  practices  of 
Mennonitism,  for  it  had  not  been  anticipated. 

A  departure  quite  radical  was  made  in  relation  to  the 
taking  up  of  the  work  of  ministry,  when  the  United  Men- 
nonite General  Conference  in  1875  provided  that  a 
brother  who  believed  himself  to  have  been  called  of  God 
to  the  ministry  might  make  his  conviction  known,  and 
if  the  church  approved,  he  might  be  privileged  to  preach, 
instead  of  having  to  wait  election  by  the  church   (see 


2  General  Conference  Minutes,  p.  29. 

150 


PRACTICAL  AND  DOCTRINAL  DEVELOPMENTS. 

Chapter  IV).  But  this  provision  was  only  for  a 
' '  brother. ' '  That  sisters  would  ever  be  called  to  preach 
was  not  dreamed  of. 

In  the  year  1885,  Miss  Janet  Douglass,  of  Deanville, 
Mich,  (now  Mrs.  James  Hall),  received  a  definite  call  to 
preach.  She  was  of  Scotch  parentage  and  had  been  con- 
verted early.  After  a  great  struggle  she  yielded  to  the 
call  and  began  public  work.  God  wonderfully  blessed 
the  messages  of  His  handmaiden,  and  great  conviction 
seized  the  hearts  of  the  unsaved,  resulting  in  a  large 
number  of  conversions.  She  was  the  first  "woman 
preacher ' '  in  the  history  of  the  entire  Mennonite  Church, 
and  has  been  an  active  worker  ever  since,  though  not 
always  in  the  public  ministry.  She  preached  in  Mich- 
igan, Ontario  and  later  in  the  Canadian  Northwest. 

But  the  time  had  evidently  come  when  God  wanted 
the  daughters  as  well  as  the  sons  of  the  church  to 
"prophesy. "  Before  the  close  of  that  year  the  number 
of  women  preachers  had  increased  to  at  least  three  and 
possibly  four  within  the  several  conferences. 

It  was  late  in  the  year  1885  that  Miss  Mary  Ann  Hall- 
man  (now  Mrs.  William  Simmons),  of  Waterloo  County, 
Ontario,  received  a  call  to  preach.  The  conviction  which 
had  come  could  not  be  shaken  off,  and  she  realized,  quot- 
ing her  own  words,  that  it  meant  "to  go  or  to  lose  her 
soul. ' '  She  was  then  only  eighteen  years  of  age,  having 
been  converted  two  years  previous.  She  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  Mary  Hallman,  members  of  the  Old 
Mennonite  Church.  They  were  bitterly  opposed  to 
women  preaching,  and  although  pious  people,  looked 
upon  the  conduct  of  their  daughter  as  a  disgrace.  She 
was  threatened  with  the  loss  of  home  if  she  persisted, 
but  God  had  spoken,  and  she  could  not  refuse.    For  the 

151 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

first  six  months  she  did  no  actual  preaching,  but  assisted 
in  personal  work,  testimony,  altar  calls  and  singing. 
The  pulpit  work  was  approached  gradually,  which  she 
began  at  Greenwood,  Mich.  God  wonderfully  blessed 
her  ministry,  and  gave  gracious  revivals  in  Michigan, 
Ontario,  Indiana  and  Ohio.  Several  of  the  tent  meet- 
ings which  she  held  in  Michigan  resulted  in  the  estab- 
lishing of  churches.  One  of  her  co-workers  in  the  early 
days  in  Michigan  was  Miss  Hattie  Bates  (Mrs.  Allen 
Schlicter),  formerly  a  Free  Methodist.  She  proved  to 
be  a  very  great  help,  particularly  so  since  she  did  not 
have  the  prejudice  against  women  preaching  to  overcome. 

It  was  during  the  same  year  that  Miss  Katie  Hygema, 
of  Indiana  (now  Mrs.  A.  A.  Miller),  was  led  of  the  Lord 
into  the  public  work.  She  was  of  Dutch  parentage,  also 
of  Mennonite  stock.  She  was  then  thirty  years  of  age. 
Her  first  public  work  was  in  a  mission  in  Grand  Rapids, 
Mich.,  with  Janet  Douglass  as  leader.  She  later  at- 
tended a  school  conducted  by  Miss  Laura  Maines,  at 
Dutton,  Mich.,  and  assisted  her  in  public  work.  Her 
later  field  was  in  Indiana  and  the  West. 

About  the  same  time  (1886)  Miss  Mary  Nunemaker, 
of  Indiana,  felt  called  of  God  to  preach.  She  had  come 
into  touch  with  Laura  Maines  while  she  held  meetings 
in  Indiana,  and  later  attended  her  school  in  Michigan. 
She  began  her  public  work  in  Indiana,  and  has  labored 
most  of  her  time  in  mission  work,  in  that  state.  She 
spent  some  time  in  Arkansas,  where  she  held  several 
revival  meetings. 

The  opposition  to  women  preaching  was  quite  general, 
at  first,  despite  the  evangelistic  spirit  of  the  church,  but 
the  prejudice  was  gradually  overcome.  Those  who  re- 
ceived a  call  of  God  to  preach  later  did  not  have  this 

152 


PRACTICAL  AND  DOCTRINAL  DEVELOPMENTS. 

difficulty  to  encounter.  Within  a  few  years  women 
preaching  was  begun  in  Pennsylvania,  the  first  ones  to 
take  up  public  work  being  Mrs.  Jonas  Musselman  and 
Miss  D.  B.  Rote.  Soon  others  followed.  In  every  con- 
ference, from  that  time  on,  women  preaching  has  been 
recognized  as  an  established  practice. 

That  God  should  call  out  several  women  in  the  vari- 
ous conferences  into  public  work  about  the  same  time 
is  no  occasion  for  surprise.  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  was 
at  work  in  His  Church,  setting  into  operation  a  new  and 
mighty  evangelistic  agency,  which  was  to  operate  in  the 
lanes  of  the  cities  and  to  the  ends  of  the  earth.  These 
women  heralds  of  the  cross  ("witnesses,"  as  they  were 
sometimes  called)  have  figured  largely  in  the  home  and 
foreign  mission  work,  and  without  them  it  would  have 
been  impossible  to  accomplish  what  has  been  accom- 
plished. 

If  any  human  agency  can  be  discovered  which  God 
used  to  call  attention  to  the  claims  of  the  Gospel  min- 
istry upon  Christian  women,  it  was  likely  the  ministry 
of  Laura  Maines.  She  was  a  member  of  the  Free  Will 
Baptist  Church,  an  ardent  holiness  advocate  and  in  per- 
fect harmony  with  the  M.  B.  in  Christ  Church.  She 
came  among  them  in  the  early  eighties,  and  wrote  a 
number  of  articles  for  the  Gospel  Banner.  All  of  the 
four  above-named  women,  who  entered  public  work  in 
1885-6,  except  Mary  Ann  Hallman,  had  come  into  touch 
with  her,  either  in  her  meetings  or  in  her  school  by  1886. 

Accordingly,  provision  was  made  in  the  Discipline 
for  women  preaching.  The  General  Conference  of  1888 
adopted  the  following  resolution:  "Any  sisters  who 
feel  called  of  God  to  preach  shall  be  recognized  as  evan- 
gelists, subject  to  the  minister  in  charge  or  the  Presiding 

153 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Elder.  They  shall  be  received  the  same  as  probationers, 
except  ordination. ' '  This  constituted  the  whole  of  the 
clause  on  Women  Preaching  in  the  Discipline,  until  a 
later  General  Conference  authorized  the  following  addi- 
tion: "All  sister  workers  who  have  passed  their  Read- 
ing Course  satisfactorily  shall  be  recognized  as  approved 
ministering  sisters  by  their  Annual  Conference." 

An  Itinerant  Ministry. 

'  In  keeping  with  Mennonite  custom  where  ministers 
were  elected  from  among  the  laity,  and  no  particular 
missionary  work  was  carried  on,  ministers  continued 
their  occupations  or  trades  and  attended  to  the  work  of 
their  ministry  besides.  This  practice  continued,  in  a 
measure,  in  the  newly-organized  church  for  some  time, 
and  has  not  quite  entirely  disappeared.  But  it  soon  be- 
came evident  that  some  change  had  to  be  made.  The 
cause  demanded  the  time  of  the  minister,  and  he  could 
not  successfully  carry  on  an  occupation  or  profession; 
therefore  some  system  had  to  be  devised  for  his  support, 
at  least  in  part. 

The  form  of  church  government  adopted  may  be  called 
Semi-Episcopal — Episcopal  in  its  polity,  in  part,  but 
without  bishops.  The  highest  authority  was  vested  in 
a  General  Conference,  where  the  whole  church  met  at 
stated  intervals  for  general  legislation,  maintaining  an 
Executive  Board  between  sessions.  Territorial  confer- 
ences were  provided  for,  presided  over  by  a  Presiding 
Elder  or  Elders,  elected  annually.  The  advisability  of 
electing  a  bishop  has  been  discussed  at  various  General 
Conferences,  but  has  not  met  with  general  approval. 

Pastors  were  appointed  annually  by  a  Stationing  Com- 
mittee, elected  by  the  Annual  Conference,  which,  in  re- 

154 


PRACTICAL  AND  DOCTRINAL  DEVELOPMENTS. 

cent  years,  has  been  composed  of  the  Presiding  Elder  or 
Elders  and  a  part  or  all  of  the  lay  delegates  (Discipline, 
Chapter  IV,  Section  XI). 

Until  1900  there  was  no  stipulated  limit  to  the  time 
a  Presiding  Elder  could  serve  a  conference  or  a  pastor 
a  church.  At  the  General  Conference  of  1900  the  limit 
was  set  at  five  years  for  a  Presiding  Elder  and  three 
years  for  a  pastor.  Later  the  time  limit  was  modified, 
making  a  longer  service  possible  for  each,  by  a  special 
vote  of  Annual  Conference. 

The  system  inaugurated  to  meet  the  financial  needs  of 
the  ministers  in  part,  was  that  of  securing  subscrip- 
tions, to  be  paid  quarterly.  The  results  at  first  were 
meager,  but  it  was  at  least  a  recognition  of  the  claims 
of  the  Gospel  ministry  upon  the  laity  for  support.  The 
financial  report  given  at  the  Annual  Conference  of  the 
United  Mennonites,  held  at  Bethel,  Elkhart  County, 
Indiana,  in  1877,  is  interesting  for  comparison. 

Samuel  Sherk  received  for  the  year  $75 ;  traveling  ex- 
penses, $24. 

Daniel  Brenneman  received  $87.36 ;  traveling  ex- 
penses, $64.07. 

David  U.  Lambert  received  $52.10;  traveling  ex- 
penses, $24.87. 

John  Krupp  received  $76.17 ;  traveling  expenses, 
$170.94. 

The  above  reports  serve  to  illustrate  the  financial  strug- 
gles of  the  men  who  endeavored  to  give  themselves  to  the 
work  of  the  ministry  and  who  had  to  struggle  against 
the  financial  odds  occasioned  by  a  small  constituency  not 
accustomed  to  supporting  the  ministry. 

The  quarterly  subscription  method  of  ministerial  sup- 
port has  been  practiced  throughout  the  church  until  the 

155 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

present,  and  has  served  its  purpose  reasonably  well.  By 
it,  ministers  have  received  a  meager  or  partial  support, 
enabling  them  to  devote  their  time  and  energy  in  part 
and  sometimes  largely  to  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel. 

In  recent  years  a  sentiment  has  been  growing  quite 
generally,  that  the  old  quarterly  system  of  finance  is  no 
longer  adequate.  No  defense  can  be  made  for  it  from 
the  Scripture  as  to  its  method.  The  weekly  system  of 
giving,  which  has  the  sanction  of  Scripture,  not  only  as 
to  principle,  but  as  to  method  (1  Cor.  16 :  2),  has  been  in- 
troduced into  a  number  of  the  churches,  with  a  very 
marked  increase  in  the  pastor's  support,  as  well  as  in 
the  various  other  funds. 

There  has  been  no  desire  expressed  nor  need  experi- 
enced for  a  change  of  the  ministerial  system.  There  has 
been  a  growing  sentiment  in  favor  of  a  somewhat  length- 
ened pastorate,  either  lengthening  the  time  limit  or  re- 
moving it  altogether,  so  that  ministers  may  render  a 
more  constructive  service  to  the  churches  which  they 
serve.  There  is  also  a  determined  effort  toward  a  more 
adequate  support  for  the  ministry,  making  it  possible 
for  them  to  give  themselves  exclusively  to  the  work. 

Baptism. 

Throughout  their  long  history,  Mennonites  have  al- 
ways maintained  that  Christian  baptism  was  to  be  ad- 
ministered to  believers  only.  Unlike  the  so-called  Refor- 
mation, they  did  not  carry  over  into  their  movement  the 
Catholic  superstition  and  practice  of  infant  baptism. 
Baptism  has  always  meant  to  Mennonites  an  outward 
testimony  of  an  inward  work  of  grace. 

The  prevailing  mode  of  baptism  among  American 
Mennonites  was  affusion  (sprinkling  or  pouring).  When 

156 


PRACTICAL  AND  DOCTRINAL  DEVELOPMENTS. 

the  various  evangelistic  movements  arose,  which  resulted 
in  the  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ  Church,  no  particu- 
lar attention  was  given  to  the  mode  of  baptism.  Gradu- 
ally, step  by  step,  the  mode  of  baptism  which  came  to 
be  agreed  upon  for  practice  in  the  church  was  immersion. 

Until  the  formation  of  the  United  Evangelical  Men- 
nonites  in  1879,  no  specific  mention  of  the  mode  of  bap- 
tism is  to  be  found  in  the  Disciplines  of  previously  ex- 
isting bodies.  The  Discipline  of  the  United  Evangelical 
Mennonite  recommends,  "that  baptism  be  administered 
in  the  water,  and  the  mode  be  left  to  the  choice  of  the 
candidate"  (Chapter  III,  Section  1).  The  Mennonite 
Brethren  in  Christ  Discipline,  as  agreed  upon  by  the 
Union  Conference  of  1883,  changed  the  corresponding 
clause  to  read  as  follows:  "We  recommend  that  bap- 
tism be  administered  in  the  water"  (Chapter  III,  Sec- 
tion 1).  This  was  something  of  a  compromise  measure 
concerning  the  mode,  which  restricted  the  choice  of  the 
candidate  to  being  baptized  in  the  water,  without  for- 
mally providing  any  further  choice.  The  Discipline  was 
allowed  to  remain  unchanged  until  the  General  Confer- 
ence of  1896,  at  which  time  the  clause  on  administering 
baptism  was  changed  so  as  to  read  as  follows :  ' '  Bap- 
tism shall  be  administered  to  believers,  and  by  immer- 
sion only."  (Chapter  III,  Section  1).  While  this  might 
mean  triune  immersion,  it  has  generally  been  interpreted 
and  practiced  as  single  immersion. 

There  has  been  no  change  in  the  Discipline  on  bap- 
tism since.  The  conviction  that  the  church  should  ad- 
minister baptism  by  immersion  only,  based  upon  a  con- 
clusion that  immersion  baptism  measured  up  more 
nearly  to  every  aspect  of  New  Testament  baptism,  had 
become  almost,  if  not  altogether,  unanimous.     Since  the 

157 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

last  development,  resulting  in  the  change  made  at  the 
General  Conference  in  1896,  the  question  of  mode  is  so 
thoroughly  settled  that  scarcely  ever  is  there  any  ques- 
tion raised.  Very  seldom  has  the  Discipline  been  vio- 
lated in  relation  to  baptism  by  immersion  only,  since  the 
last  change. 

The  historian  cannot  always  trace  causes  for  such 
changes  or  development,  though  there  are  always  causes. 
One  of  the  contributing  factors,  even  if  a  minor  one, 
was  the  final  union  of  1883,  which  brought  into  the 
body  the  Swank  branch  of  the  Brethren  in  Christ,  who 
had  always  been  immersionists.  It  is  believed  by  the 
sincere  practitioners  of  this  established  mode  of  bap- 
tism, that  God  led  them  to  a  mode  of  baptism  which  can 
stand  every  Scriptural  test  of  the  ordinance,  which  can- 
not be  said  of  any  other  mode  except  immersion. 

Young  People's  Work. 

Though  the  church  has,  from  its  origin,  sought  the 
conversion  of  the  young  people,  it  has  made  but  little 
effort  to  provide  for  the  participation  of  young  people 
in  religious  activity,  except  in  the  regular  service  in 
connection  with  adults.  Observing  the  superficiality  of 
the  popular  young  people's  societies,  there  has  been  a 
manifest  hesitancy  in  introducing  anything  which  would 
lead  to  a  separation  of  the  young  people  from  the  regular 
services  into  gatherings  of  their  own.  Children's  meet- 
ings have  been  conducted  at  the  camp  meetings  almost 
from  the  first,  and  Children's  Day  exercises  have  been 
held  in  some  of  the  Sunday  Schools. 

A  conviction  has  been  growing  among  the  churches, 
however,  that  there  should  be  some  kind  of  religious 
exercises  provided  which,  though  not  to  the  exclusion 

158 


PRACTICAL  AND  DOCTRINAL  DEVELOPMENTS. 

of  the  older  ones  whatsoever,  would  place  the  responsi- 
bility of  the  service  upon  the  shoulders  of  the  young 
people,  providing  them  a  means  for  the  development  of 
their  spiritual  talents,  and  an  outlet  for  religious  energy. 
This  conviction  has  been  answered  by  the  organizing 
of  missionary  societies,  Bible  study  meetings,  etc. 
There  has  been  no  general  organization,  consequently 
no  uniformity  in  the  effort.  Beginning  with  July  1, 
1915,  the  Gospel  Banner  supplied  Bible  Study  outlines, 
arranged  by  ministers  in  various  conferences,  designed 
to  provide  a  suitable  program  for  weekly  Bible  Study 
meetings  for  both  young  and  old,  purposing  to  enlist 
the  young  particularly  in  Bible  study.  This  has  been 
the  nearest  approach  to  uniformity  in  young  people's 
work  within  the  church. 

Sanctification. 

The  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ  Church  was  born 
in  a  revival  of  experimental  religion.  This  placed  its 
adherents  into  a  good  state  for  spiritual  development. 
Whatever  regeneration  led  to  was  most  certain  to  be 
reached  by  those  who  entered  into  the  experience  so 
whole-heartedly. 

The  theory  of  sanctification,  as  a  definite  work  of 
grace  subsequent  to  regeneration,  came  to  be  accepted 
quite  generally  throughout  the  church  by  1880.  When 
preaching  of  the  theory  of  sanctification  was  begun, 
there  were  those  throughout  the  conferences  who  testi- 
fied to  having  entered  into  the  experience  without  hav- 
ing known  the  theory  of  it. 

Beginning  with  the  December  issue,  1878,  the  Gospel 
Banner,  then  the  organ  of  the  United  Mennonites,  car- 
ried the  following  statement  in  its  business  card,  as  to 

159 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

the  purpose  of  the  publication:  "Its  most  prominent 
theme  shall  be  holiness  unto  the  Lord. ' '  This  is  possibly 
the  first  documentary  evidence  to  be  found,  indicating 
that  "holiness"  was  becoming  a  dominant  theme  in  the 
new  movement.  In  Canada,  Menno  Bowman  became  an 
ardent  advocate  of  the  doctrine.  In  Indiana,  D.  U.  Lam- 
bert was  perhaps  the  most  aggressive  exponent  of  holi- 
ness. In  Pennsylvania,  Jonas  Musselman  appears  to 
have  been  the  leader  in  this  teaching.  These  were  influ- 
ential men,  and  they,  together  with  the  other  ministers, 
seem  to  have  experienced  no  difficulty  in  getting  the 
people  to  accept  the  doctrine. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  greatest  factors  in  spreading  the 
teaching  of  sanctification  was  the  first  camp  meeting, 
held  in  Fetter's  Grove,  Elkhart  County,  Indiana,  in 
1880.  The  doctrine  of  holiness  was  made  prominent  at 
this  meeting,  with  the  result  that  some  of  the  laity  and 
even  some  from  among  the  ministry  sought  and  ob- 
tained the  experience. 

From  this  camp  meeting  holiness  teaching  spread. 
Both  Menno  Bowman,  of  Canada,  and  Jonas  Musselman, 
of  Pennsylvania,  were  present  at  this  camp,  which  may, 
in  part,  account  for  their  zeal  for  the  teaching  in  their 
respective  conferences  later. 

The  following  year  (1881)  there  were  three  camps 
instead  of  one.  In  Canada,  one  was  held  at  Breslau,  and 
in  Pennsylvania,  one  was  held  near  Coopersburg,  called 
the  Chestnut  Hill  Camp.  These,  like  the  Indiana  camp, 
proved  to  be  "holiness"  camps.  D.  U.  Lambert,  who 
had  been  secured  to  assist  in  the  Breslau  camp,  reported 
in  part  as  follows:  "The  principal  effort  of  the  meet- 
ing was  for  the  promotion  of  Scriptural  holiness.  Many 
entered  by  faith  into  the  experience,  and  are  now  sing- 

160 


PRACTICAL  AND  DOCTRINAL  DEVELOPMENTS. 

ing,  'I  am  washed  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.'  Others 
that  were  prejudiced  against  the  doctrine,  having  a 
theory  of  their  own,  had  their  foundation  swept  away. 
Thus  'Holiness  unto  the  Lord'  gained  the  day."3  Jonas 
Musselman,  reporting  the  Chestnut  Hill  Camp  of  that 
year,  wrote:  "The  meetings  were  conducted  strictly  on 
the  holiness  line,  and  quite  a  number  entered  the  land 
of  Beulah.  Some  at  the  commencement  could  not  un- 
derstand what  these  things  meant,  and  were  in  doubt 
whereunto  they  might  grow.  But  as  the  power  of  God 
was  so  wonderfully  displayed,  many  began  to  change 
their  minds  and  concluded  that,  after  all,  it  is  better  in 
the  land  of  Canaan.  Praise  God  for  the  power!  Each 
day  and  night  He  gave  us  a  new  baptism  of  the  Holy 
Ghost."4 

The  Discipline  of  the  Evangelical  United  Mennonites 
of  1880  contains  the  following  article  on  Sanctification: 

On  Sanctification. 

"Sanctification  necessarily  follows  justification 
and  regeneration;  for  by  it  is  implied  a  setting 
apart  for  the  continual  service  of  God,  the  individ- 
ual, justified,  and  regenerated ;  also  a  cleansing  from 
inbred  or  original  depravity,  which  is  removed  only 
by  the  application  and  cleansing  process  of  Christ's 
blood.  It  is  an  instantaneous  act  of  God,  through 
the  Holy  Ghost,  by  faith,  in  the  atoning  merits  of 
Christ's  blood,  and  constitutes  the  believer  holy; 
inasmuch,  as  it  excludes  depravity  and  all  unright- 
eousness from  the  heart.    He,  therefore,  is  perfect — 


•  Gospel  Banner,  October  1,  1881,  p.  149. 

*  Gospel  Banner,  September  15,  1881,  p.  142. 

11  161 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

perfectly   saved — the    will   of   God   perfectly   per- 
formed in  the  soul. 

"By  sanctification,  or  perfect  love,  is  also  implied 
a  development  or  perfection  of  those  heaven-born 
principles  imparted  to  us,  or  imbibed  in  the  heart 
in  regeneration ;  and  it  is  a  state  which  is  not  only 
the  privilege  of  Christians  to  enjoy,  but  the  duty  of 
every  child  of  God  to  seek  after  and  attain  unto, 
which  is  evident  from  the  Word  of  God,  as  it  is  said : 
'For  this  is  the  will  of  God,  even  your  sanctifica- 
tion,' and  again:  'Be  ye  holy,  for  I  am  holy.' — 
Matt.  22 :  37,  38 ;  Lev.  19:2;  Heb.  12 :  14 ;  1  Cor. 
1 :  30 ;  and  Eph.  1:4."    Article  XII. 

The  General  Conference  of  1888  aimed  at  the  strength- 
ening of  the  article,  adding  the  word  "Entire"  to  the 
heading  of  the  Discipline  article,  making  the  heading  to 
read:  "Entire  Sanctification";  also  omitting  one  para- 
graph and  adding  some  outlined  teaching  on  the  subject. 
There  have  been  several  changes  made  since  in  the  word- 
ing of  the  article  in  the  Discipline.  The  General  Con- 
ference of  1882  included  the  volume  entitled  "Lessons 
in  Holiness"  in  the  original  ministers'  Reading  Course, 
and  it  has  remained  there  ever  since.  Holiness  Conven- 
tions have  been  common  since  1900  or  a  little  earlier. 
The  first  and  main  paragraph  of  the  article  as  it  now 
stands  in  the  Discipline  reads  as  follows: 

Entire  Sanctification. 
"Entire  sanctification  necessarily  follows  justifi- 
cation and  regeneration,  for  by  it  is  implied  a  setting 
apart  for  the  continual  service  of  God  the  individual 
justified  and  regenerated ;  also  a  cleansing  from  in- 
bred sin  or  original  depravity,  which  is  removed  only 
162 


PRACTICAL  AND  DOCTRINAL  DEVELOPMENTS. 

by  the  application  and  cleansing  process  of  Christ's 
blood.  It  is  an  instantaneous  act  of  God,  through 
the  Holy  Ghost,  by  faith  in  the  atoning  merits  of 
Christ's  blood,  and  constitutes  the  believer  holy." 
— Chapter  I,  Article  12. 

Again,  it  is  not  easy  to  point  out  all  the  factors  which 
entered  into  the  development  made  in  the  church,  in  re- 
lation to  this  doctrine.  A  Free  Methodist  in  one  com- 
munity, a  United  Brethren  in  another,  and  an  Evan- 
gelical in  still  another,  may  be  accredited  with  having 
been  instrumental  in  bringing  the  doctrine  of  sanctifi- 
cation  to  the  attention  of  the  church.  The  writings  of 
A.  Sims,  Geo.  D.  Watson,  John  S.  Inskip,  and  others 
fell  into  the  hands  of  these  zealous  Christians  and  exerted 
their  influence.  But  the  cause  was  more  likely  inherent 
than  external  or  visible.  People,  truly  converted  and 
walking  in  the  light,  were  led  to  see  their  privilege  and 
duty  in  relation  to  being  cleansed  from  all  sin,  and  they 
embraced  the  provision.  God  providentially  permitted 
such  human  agencies  as  have  been  or  may  be  pointed 
out  to  direct  a  willing  and  obedient  people  into  the 
deeper  things  of  Christian  experience. 

The  Second  Coming. 

The  doctrine  of  Christ's  return  began  to  receive  special 
notice  by  various  ministers  along  about  1890.  The  teach- 
ing received  attention  at  the  various  camp  meetings, 
and  articles  were  written  and  selected  for  The  Gospel 
Banner  on  the  subject. 

With  a  rapidity  and  unanimity  almost  surprising,  the 
church  accepted  thepre-millennial  view  of  Christ's  second 
coming.    At  the  General  Conference  of  1896  an  article 

163 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

was  arranged  for  the  Discipline  on  the  subject  of  the 
"Second  Coming"  and  one  on  the  "Millennium,"  outlin- 
ing briefly  the  teaching  of  the  New  Testament  on  these 
subjects  (Article  XVII  and  XVIII).  They  have  re- 
mained unchanged,  and  the  teaching  is  general  and 
prominent  throughout  the  conferences. 

Militarism. 

One  of  the  historic  and  fundamental  tenets  of  Mennon- 
ite  faith  is  peace  and  good  will.  This  doctrine  has  been 
taught  under  the  captions  of  "Non-resistance,"  "Self- 
defense,  ' '  and  ' '  Revenge. ' '  Its  underlying  principle  has 
always  been  that  Christians  must  not  employ  carnal 
weapons  or  physical  force  to  attain  any  end  whatsoever, 
in  times  of  peace  or  war. 

For  the  sake  of  this  faith  many  Mennonites  gave  up 
home  and  property,  migrating  from  one  European  coun- 
try to  another,  and  finally  to  America,  in  quest  of  free- 
dom from  military  service.  Some  even  gave  up  their 
lives  for  their  faith. 

The  M.  B.  C.  Church  has  maintained  the  historic  Men- 
nonite  attitude  on  this  subject.  Having  arisen  in  a  time 
of  comparative  peace,  and  little  expecting  that  non- 
resistant  faith  would  be  submitted  to  any  severe  test  in 
America,  too  little  emphasis  was  placed  upon  the  teach- 
ing. 

When  the  World  War  broke  out,  the  church  was  scarcely 
prepared  for  the  test  to  which  it  was  to  be  subjected. 
But  it  was  the  rare  exception  when  a  young  man  volun- 
teered for  army  service,  and  it  was  not  general  that  so- 
called  "non-combatant"  service  was  accepted.  Most  of 
the  young  men  either  secured  farm  furloughs,  thus  ren- 
dering service  of  a  non-military  nature,  or  where  no 

164 


PRACTICAL  AND  DOCTRINAL  DEVELOPMENTS. 

favorable  action  could  be  secured,  paid  the  price  of  their 
non-resistant  attitude  by  suffering  segregation  in  mil- 
itary camps  or  serving  sentence  in  federal  prisons.  Thus 
they  became,  as  Rufus  W.  Jones  in  his  book,  entitled, 
"A  Service  of  Love  in  War  Time,"  calls  the  young 
Quakers  who  suffered  during  the  war,  "Keepers  of  the 
Faith."  In  Canada,  where  Mennonites  were  given  ex- 
emption from  military  duty,  but  were  disfranchised,  the 
young  men  accepted  quite  willingly  the  loss  of  a  meas- 
ure of  citizenship  rights  that  they  might  be  true  to  their 
faith.  The  purchasing  of  war  bonds  was  not  generally 
practiced  on  account  of  their  direct  connection  with  the 
prosecution  of  war. 

General  Statement. 

Apart  from  the  above-named  practices  and  doctrines, 
there  have  been  no  particular  developments.  There  has 
been  some  trend  toward  participation  in  political  mat- 
ters, but  in  a  modest  way.  The  church  maintains  her 
attitude  very  definitely  against  oath-bound  societies  and 
oaths.  The  sacrament  and  the  washing  of  the  saints' 
feet  are  perpetuated  and  observed  together.  The  General 
Conference  of  1888  provided  an  article  for  the  Discipline 
on  "Divine  Healing"  (Article  XIV),  and  recommended 
that  each  minister  preach  on  the  subject  at  least  once  a 
year.  The  use  of  musical  instruments  in  public  worship 
is  left  to  the  decision  of  the  respective  annual  confer- 
ences. Life  insurance  is  discouraged.  Non-conformity 
to  the  world  is  enjoined,  and  Scriptural  modesty  in  mat- 
ters of  dress,  excluding  the  use  of  the  articles  which  are 
forbidden  in  the  Word  of  God,  as  "gold,  pearls,  and 
costly  array,"  are  required  by  the  Discipline  (Section 
VIII). 

165 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Publishing  Interests. 

That  the  founders  of  the  church  had  a  keen  sense  of 
the  power  of  the  printed  page  and  felt  the  need  of  a 
church  periodical  early,  is  evident.  About  the  year  1877 
the  Canadian  brethren,  then  the  United  Mennonites, 
issued  a  trial  copy  of  a  periodical  called  The  Gospel 
Messenger,  which  was  to  have  been  issued  monthly.  The 
enterprise  evidently  did  not  receive  sufficient  encourage- 
ment to  warrant  continuing,  at  least  no  more  issues 
were  printed. 

But  the  need  for  a  church  periodical  continued  to  be 
realized.  In  the  first  issue  of  The  Gospel  Banner  the  need 
is  expressed  as  follows:  "That  as  a  church  we  need  a 
church  organ  is  too  plain  to  admit  of  any  argument.  Al- 
though our  organization  is  yet  in  its  infancy — only  a 
few  years'  standing — only  too  long  has  it  been  without 
a  special  medium  through  which  to  advocate  its  object, 
defend  its  position,  and  diffuse  its  sentiments."  In  the 
same  issue  the  purpose  of  such  a  periodical  is  stated: 
"The  Gospel  Banner  shall  be  a  plain  and  free,  outspoken 
exponent  of  the  faith  and  doctrines  of  the  Bible  as  un- 
derstood by  the  United  Mennonites,  without  any  design 
of  marring  the  feelings  or  of  gratifying  the  selfish  prin- 
ciples and  vain  desires  of  our  fellowmen. " 

The  launching  of  The  Gospel  Banner,  which  has  ever 
since  been  the  official  organ  of  the  church,  came  about 
in  this  way.  A  conference  of  the  United  Mennonites 
was  in  session  in  Natawasaga  Township,  Simcoe  County, 

166 


PUBLISHING  INTERESTS. 

Ontario,  from  June  5-7,  1878.  The  need  of  a  church  pe- 
riodical was  discussed  and  a  plan  for  the  publication  of 
such  a  periodical  was  outlined  by  Elder  Daniel  Brenne- 
man.  After  the  discussion  the  following  resolution  was 
passed : 

"Resolved,  That  D.  Brenneman  will  proceed  at  once 
with  the  editing  and  printing  of  a  church  paper  called 
The  Gospel  Banner,  to  be  printed  at  Goshen,  Indiana."1 

Accordingly,  The  Gospel  Banner  made  its  first  appear- 
ance in  July,  1878,  and  was  published  monthly  through- 
out the  balance  of  that  year,  containing  eight  pages. 
The  subscription  price  was  fixed  at  one  dollar  a  year. 
The  managing  committee  was  composed  of  Peter  Geiger, 
Joseph  E.  Schneider,  and  Jacob  Y.  Shantz. 

For  the  first  half  year  the  publication  of  The  Gospel 
Banner  was  assumed  personally  by  the  Editor,  and  in 
the  manner  published,  the  subscriptions  almost  paid  the 
cost  of  printing.  At  the  annual  conference  in  Indiana, 
in  October,  1878,  it  was  requested  that  the  new  period- 
ical be  published  by  the  church,  and  that,  as  soon  as 
possible,  it  should  also  be  printed  in  German,  or  at  least 
with  a  German  supplement.  The  following  members 
from  Indiana  were  added  to  the  managing  committee: 
John  Krupp,  D.  U.  Lambert,  and  William  Moyer.  The 
managing  committee  was  then  composed  of  three  from 
Canada  and  three  from  Indiana.  It  was  also  decided 
that  funds  be  solicited  to  purchase  type,  press,  etc.  Plans 
for  further  development  of  the  publishing  interests  were 
left  to  the  General  Conference. 

During  the  six  months  of  1878  that  The  Gospel  Ban- 
ner was  published,  it  was  printed  by  the  Goshen  Times 


1  Gospel  Banner,  July,  1878,  p.  7. 

167 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Company.  Early  in  1879  type  was  purchased  and  the 
composition  was  taken  care  of  by  The  Gospel  Banner 
office,  which  occupied  an  upper  room  on  Main  Street, 
in  Goshen,  but  the  press  work  continued  to  be  done  by 
The  Times  Company,  until  late  in  1879,  when  a  printing 
press  was  purchased  on  which  to  print  The  Gospel  Ban- 
ner.   A  small  job  press  had  been  installed  early  in  1879. 

Beginning  with  1879,  The  Gospel  Banner  continued 
to  be  published  as  an  eight  page  monthly,  but  was  printed 
in  both  English  and  German,  the  German  periodical  be- 
ing called  Evangeliums  Panier. 

The  General  Conference  which  convened  in  June, 
1879,  in  Blair,  Ontario,  passed  resolutions,  making  the 
printing  establishment  the  property  of  the  church,  au- 
thorizing the  continuation  of  The  Gospel  Banner  in  both 
languages ;  that  it  be  published  semi-monthly  after  1879, 
also  planning  a  campaign  for  funds  for  the  publishing 
house.  D.  Brenneman  was  made  Editor  and  T.  H. 
Brenneman  Assistant  Editor.  A  publishing  committee 
was  elected,  three  from  Canada,  and  three  from  the 
United  States.2  The  price  of  The  Gospel  Banner  and  the 
Evangeliums  Panier  was  to  remain  the  same  as  when 
published  as  monthlies,  one  dollar  per  annum,  each,  or 
both  papers  to  one  address  for  a  dollar  and  a  half. 

At  the  Union  Conference,  held  in  Upper  Milford,  Le- 
high County,  Pennsylvania,  in  November,  1879,  there 
were  two  members  added  to  the  publishing  committee  to 
represent  the  Pennsylvania  Conference,  in  the  persons 
of  John  B.  Gehman  and  John  Traub.3 

The  managing  committee  decided  at  its  meeting,  in 
November,  1879,  to  open  a  book  store  in  connection  with 


2  Gospel  Banner,  July,  1879,  p.  3. 

3  Gospel  Banner,  December,  1879,  p.  3. 

168 


PUBLISHING  INTERESTS. 

The  Gospel  Banner  office,  and  chose  Benjamin  Bowman 
as  Editor  of  the  Evangeliums  Panier  and  manager  of  the 
book  store.4  The  book  store  was  carried  on  under  the 
name  of  U.  E.  Mennonite  Publishing  House.  This  proved 
an  unprofitable  venture,  as  the  constituency  was  too 
small  to  support  an  institution  of  this  kind.  This,  to- 
gether with  some  jobs  of  considerable  size  which  were 
printed  for  others  but  which  could  not  be  collected  for, 
embarrassed  the  young  publishing  concern  somewhat 
financially.  It  was  already  carrying  a  heavy  load  in 
attempting  to  issue  two  periodicals  (one  German  and 
one  English),  eight  page  semi-monthlies,  to  a  small  con- 
stituency at  $1.50  a  year  for  both.  The  circulation  of 
the  English  periodical  at  this  time  was  about  a  thousand 
copies,  and  the  German  periodical  approximately  five 
hundred  copies.  Frequent  appeals  were  made  for  sup- 
port, and  funds  were  solicited.  Benjamin  Bowman  con- 
tinued in  this  relation  until  April,  1881. 

During  the  month  of  May,  1881,  The  Gospel  Banner 
office  was  moved  into  a  new  building  on  South  Main 
Street,  Goshen,  which  Jacob  Y.  Shantz,  of  Ontario,  had 
erected  for  the  purpose  and  which  had  been  rented  from 
him. 

At  the  General  Conference  of  October,  1882,  held  at 
the  Bethel  Church,  Elkhart  County,  Indiana,  D.  Brenne- 
man  was  elected  General  Agent  and  Traveling  Mission- 
ary ;  T.  H.  Brenneman,  Editor  of  both  periodicals ;  and 
John  Traub,  of  Pennsylvania,  as  manager  of  the  print- 
ing establishment.5 

Beginning  with  the  issue  of  November  15,  1882,  the 
Church  and  Home,  the  periodical  of  the  Wenger  branch 

*  Gospel  Banner,  December,  1879,  p.  3. 

5  Gospel  Banner,  October  15,  1882,  page  153. 

169 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

of  the  Brethren  in  Christ  Church,  was  consolidated  with 
The  Gospel  Banner,  becoming  a  department  of  the  same, 
occupying  two  pages.  This  department  continued  to  be 
edited  by  the  periodical's  former  Editor,  Dr.  C.  Nyse- 
wander.  The  additional  subscribers,  thus  brought  to- 
gether with  the  growth  of  The  Gospel  Banner's  subscrip- 
tion list,  necessitated  an  issue  at  that  time  of  2,600  copies 
(both  languages). 

At  the  close  of  the  year,  1884,  the  managing  commit- 
tee found  itself  face  to  face  with  a  serious  financial  sit- 
uation: a  considerable  debt  had  accrued.  The  Editors 
had  always  been  paid  but  a  small  salary.  D.  Brenneman 
received  from  $200  to  $600  per  year  as  Editor.  Ben- 
jamin Bowman  received  $400  per  year  as  business  man- 
ager and  Editor  of  the  German  periodical.  But  the  ex- 
penditures and  investments  had  been  out  of  proportion 
to  the  income.  The  managing  committee,  then  composed 
of  J.  W.  Buzzard  and  Christian  Nusbaum,  of  Indiana, 
Jacob  Y.  Shantz  and  John  Troxel,  of  Canada,  and  John 
Gehman  and  Abel  Strawn,  of  Pennsylvania,  decided  to 
move  the  printing  plant  to  Kitchener,  Ontario  (then 
Berlin),  and  elected  Casper  Hett,  formerly  of  Philadel- 
phia, but  who  had  been  a  typesetter  in  The  Gospel  Ban- 
ner office  for  several  years,  as  Publisher.  The  reason, 
as  assigned  for  this  move,  in  an  "Explanation"  made  in 
The  Gospel  Banner,  issue  of  April  1,  1885,  is  "cheaper 
rent,  postage,  fuel,  etc."  A  program  of  economy  was 
evidently  to  be  inaugurated  so  as  to  avoid  further  finan- 
cial embarrassment.  The  plant  was  moved  to  Kitchener, 
and  the  first  issue  printed  in  the  removed  plant  was 
dated  February  15,  1885.  Beginning  with  1885,  The 
Gospel  Banner  was  made  sixteen  pages,  but  reduced  ma- 
terially in  the  size  of  the  page.     The  Editor,   T.   H. 

170 


PUBLISHING  INTERESTS. 

Brenneman,  did  not  remove  to  Canada  with  the  publish- 
ing plant,  but  continued  to  edit  the  periodicals  until 
April  1,  1885,  when  Joseph  Bingeman,  who  was  selected 
to  succeed  him  to  fill  out  the  unexpired  portion  of  the 
term,  assumed  the  office  as  Editor. 

At  the  General  Conference  held  in  October,  1885, 
Elder  J.  B.  Detwiler  was  elected  Editor.  A  contract 
was  entered  into  with  the  publisher,  Casper  Hett,  by  the 
managing  committee,  and  confirmed  by  the  General  Con- 
ference, whereby  the  church  would  secure  the  publica- 
tion of  its  own  periodicals  on  its  own  plant,  which  should 
be  operated  by  the  publisher,  and  also  a  small  margin 
(ten  percent)  from  job  work  printed  in  the  establish- 
ment.6 In  this  manner  no  further  indebtedness  accu- 
mulated. The  name  of  the  publishing  house  was  changed 
to  the  M.  B.  C.  Publishing  House,  consistent  with  the 
name  of  the  church  since  1883. 

In  1888  Elder  H.  S.  Hallman  was  elected  Editor.  A 
contract  similar  to  the  one  described  above  was  entered 
into  by  the  General  Conference  with  Messrs.  Hett  and 
Hallman,  printers,  for  the  publishing  of  The  Gospel 
Banner  and  Evangeliums  Panier  for  the  General  Con- 
ference term  of  four  years.7 

In  1892  H.  S.  Hallman  was  reelected  Editor,  and  a 
contract  for  the  publication  of  the  church  periodicals 
entered  into  with  the  Berlin  Publishing  Company,  Ltd.8 
This  company  also  operated  the  original  printing  plant 
of  the  church,  together  with  other  equipment.  General 
Conference  instructed  that  The  Gospel  Banner  be  made 
a  weekly  (16  pages),  and  that  the  Evangeliums  Pander 


6  Gospel  Banner,  November  1,  1885,  p.  10. 

7  Gospel  Banner,  November  1,  1888,  p.  13. 

8  General  Conference  Minutes,  p.   146. 

171 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

be  reduced  to  four  pages  and  continue  to  be  published 
semi-monthly.9  The  plant  of  this  company  was  partially 
destroyed  by  fire  after  a  few  years,  and  their  business 
was  sold.  H.  S.  Hallman  was  again  elected  Editor  in 
1896,  with  C.  H.  Brunner  as  Editor  of  the  Sunday 
School  Department. 

The  old  debt  which  had  accumulated  during  the  earlier 
years  of  the  publishing  work  hung  heavily  upon  the 
church.  During  the  time  persistent  efforts  had  been 
made  to  raise  enough  money  among  the  various  confer- 
ences to  liquidate  this  debt.  Some  had  given  freely, 
while  others  did  not  do  so.  Some  misunderstandings 
stood  in  the  way  of  a  complete  adjustment.  In  1898 
H.  S.  Hallman  proposed  to  take  the  printing  plant  of  the 
church,  operate  it,  publish  The  Gospel  Banner  (the 
Evangeliums  Panier  having  been  discontinued  by  this 
time),  and  pay  the  remaining  indebtedness  of  about  two 
thousand  dollars  (twelve  hundred  and  forty-eight  dol- 
lars with  accumulated  interest),10  from  the  earnings  of 
the  plant.  This  proposal  was  accepted.  An  executive 
committee  had  been  elected  by  the  General  Conference 
of  1896  to  take  the  place  of  the  former  Managing  Com- 
mittee, who  were  to  have  charge,  among  other  things,  of 
the  publishing  interests  of  the  church.  The  above  con- 
tract with  H.  S.  Hallman  was  entered  into  by  the  former 
Managing  Committee,  which  was  permitted  to  hold 
over  until  the  obligation  of  the  printing  plant  was  met. 
By  1904  the  debt  on  the  printing  plant  had  been  paid 
off,  and  the  Secretary  of  the  Managing  Committee,  John 
Troxel,  so  informed  the   General   Conference  of  that 


1  General  Conference  Minutes,  p.  144. 
"  General  Conference  Minutes,  p.  270. 

172 


PUBLISHING  INTERESTS. 

year.11  A  vote  of  thanks  was  given  H.  S.  Hallman,  as 
follows : 

''Whereas,  H.  S.  Hallman  assumed  the  indebtedness 
of  The  Gospel  Banner,  about  six  years  ago,  and  has,  in 
the  face  of  much  difficulty  and  with  a  great  deal  of  hard 
work,  and  under  the  blessing  of  God  paid  the  debt  in 
full ;  therefore 

Resolved,  That  we  as  a  conference  express  our  sincere 
thanks  and  deepest  appreciation  of  his  faithfulness  in 
carrying  out  his  undertaking."12 

H.  S.  Hallman  was  reelected  as  Editor  in  1904,  with 
0.  B.  Henderson  as  Assistant  Editor.  Again  a  contract 
was  entered  into  between  him  and  General  Conference, 
by  which  he  operated  the  plant  upon  his  own  responsi- 
bility, printing  The  Gospel  Banner  for  the  church  and 
paying  the  assistant  editor  out  of  the  earnings  of  the 
publishing  and  printing  business,  as  a  whole.  O.  B.  Hen- 
derson served  as  Assistant  Editor  from  January  1,  1905, 
until  April,  1907,  when  he  resigned. 

At  the  General  Conference  held  at  Brown  City,  Mich- 
igan, 1908,  a  contract  was  entered  into  with  The  Union 
Gospel  Printing  Co.,  by  which  the  said  company  assumed 
the  publication  end  of  The  Gospel  Banner  for  eight  years 
(1908-1916).  Elder  C.  H.  Brunner  was  elected  Editor 
in  1908,  and  gave  four  years  of  editorial  service  free. 
J.  A.  Huffman  was  elected  Editor  in  1912,  and  served 
during  the  latter  four  years  of  the  eight  years  that  The 
Gospel  Banner  was  published  by  The  Union  Gospel 
Printing  Co.  The  Executive  Committee  was  authorized 
by  the  General  Conference  of  1908  to  dispose  of  the 

11  General   Conference   Minutes,   p.   270. 

12  General  Conference  Minutes,  p.  281. 

173 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

church-owned  printing  machinery,  which  was  done,  and 
the  church  discontinued  printing  entirely. 

At  the  General  Conference  held  at  New  Carlisle,  Ohio, 
in  1916,  J.  A.  Huffman  was  made  both  Publisher  and 
Editor.  In  order  that  The  Gospel  Banner  might  be  put 
upon  a  sounder  business  basis,  it  was  reduced  to  eight 
pages  for  a  year,  until  the  Executive  Board  could  find  a 
solution  for  the  problem  by  which  it  could  safely  be  made 
a  16-page  weekly  (50  issues  per  year)  again.  This  was 
done  at  the  close  of  the  first  year,  and  the  subscription 
list  has  had  a  steady  growth  to  date  (1920).  Over  three 
thousand  copies  are  issued  weekly,  size  of  page  being  914 
by  131/2  inches. 

The  solution  of  the  problem  of  the  church  periodical 
deficit  came  about  in  this  way: 

About  1902  a  book  business  was  started  by  J.  A.  Huff- 
man in  New  Carlisle,  Ohio.  This  business  was  moved 
to  Dayton,  Ohio,  a  few  years  later  and  incorporated  un- 
der the  name  of  The  Bethel  Publishing  Company,  with 
J.  A.  Huffman  as  President.  The  business  grew  until 
it  had  become  well  established,  serving  most  of  the  Men- 
nonite  Brethren  in  Christ  conferences  in  an  unofficial 
capacity,  and  a  large  outside  constituency,  proving  it- 
self a  success. 

Realizing  that  the  only  immediate  solution  for  the 
publishing  problem  of  the  church  lay  in  the  securing  of 
an  established  publishing  business  whose  earnings  could 
be  used  to  meet  the  annual  deficit  of  a  church  periodical, 
which  was  certain  to  result  from  an  attempt  to  supply 
a  16-page  weekly  paper,  the  officers  of  The  Bethel  Pub- 
lishing Company,  in  1917,  proposed  to  the  Executive 
Board  to  transfer  all  the  publishing  assets  and  interests, 
including  Sunday  School  periodicals,  copyrights,  stock, 

174 


PUBLISHING  INTERESTS. 

mailing  list,  good  will,  etc.,  at  a  figure  which  the  Execu- 
tive Committee  recognized  as  reasonable.  The  company 
had  once  operated  presses,  but  this  had  been  abandoned 
for  a  method  to  them  more  satisfactory — that  of  using 
the  presses  of  other  printers,  contracting  for  the  me- 
chanical work  to  be  done,  thus  avoiding  great  investment 
and  expense,  as  well  as  trouble. 

A  solicitation  for  funds  with  which  to  make  the  pur- 
chase was  begun  under  the  name  of  The  General  Con- 
ference Forward  Movement,  with  the  result  that  suffi- 
cient money  was  raised.  The  business  was  taken  over 
on  January  1,  1918,  and  has  been  conducted  for  the 
church  since  that  time.  The  annual  earnings  of  the  gen- 
eral publishing  business,  thus  secured,  and  located  at 
New  Carlisle,  Ohio,  have  been  sufficient  to  meet  the  an- 
nual deficit  accruing  from  the  publication  of  The  Gospel 
Banner. 

The  General  Conference  held  at  Kitchener,  Ontario, 
in  1920,  reelected  J.  A.  Huffman  as  Editor  for  a  third 
term.  The  Executive  Board  assumed  the  responsibility 
of  the  publishing  business,  and  employed  J.  N.  Panna- 
becker  as  manager. 

Disciplines. 

Ever  since  the  first  union  in  1875,  the  church  has 
striven  toward  a  printed  statement  of  its  faith  and  prac- 
tice. Even  before  the  earliest  union,  several  bodies  had 
their  printed  Disciplines;  the  Evangelical  Mennonites, 
which  was  printed  in  1867 ;  and  the  Brethren  in  Christ, 
which  was  issued  in  1879.  At  the  United  Mennonite 
Conference,  held  in  Ontario,  in  June,  1878,  a  committee 
of  three  was  chosen  to  formulate  a  Discipline,  to  be  sub- 
mitted to  the  next  annual  conference.     The  committee 

175 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

was  composed  of  Solomon  Eby,  Benjamin  Bowman,  and 
J.  H.  Steckley.  The  committee  reported  at  the  next  an- 
nual conference,  and  the  Discipline  was  approved  and 
ordered  published,  both  in  English  and  German.  By 
March,  1880,  the  Discipline  was  ready  for  delivery,  and 
since  the  union  of  1879  had  taken  place  in  the  mean- 
time, bears  the  name  of  the  Discipline  of  the  United 
Evangelical  Mennonites  of  the  United  States  and 
Canada. 

Naturally  enough,  this  Discipline  was  published  at 
The  Gospel  Banner  office,  Goshen,  Indiana.  As  a  result 
of  the  union  of  1883,  and  various  General  Conferences 
which  made  revisions  in  doctrine  and  practice,  the  Dis- 
cipline has  gone  through  a  number  of  revisions.  This 
has  always  constituted  a  part  of  the  publishing  inter- 
ests of  the  church,  and  has  been  conducted  in  connection 
with  The  Gospel  Banner. 

Song  Books. 

The  effort  toward  the  solution  of  the  song  book  problem 
is  almost  as  old  as  that  concerning  a  church  periodical 
and  a  Discipline.  At  the  first  General  Conference  of  the 
United  Mennonites,  held  in  Blair,  Ontario,  in  June,  1879, 
a  committee  of  three,  composed  of  Solomon  Eby,  Daniel 
Brenneman,  and  Benjamin  Bowman,  was  elected  to  com- 
pile a  suitable  hymn  book.  The  English  hymn  book  was 
ready  by  January  1,  1881,  and  contained  about  600 
pages  with  900  hymns,  and  sold  for  one  dollar.  The 
German  edition  was  ready  about  October,  1882.  Thus 
hymn  book  publishing  was  also  assumed  as  a  part  of  the 
publishing  interests  of  the  church. 

By  1892  the  hymn  book  was  thought  to  need  revision, 
and  a  committee,   composed  of  W.  B.   Musselman,  D. 

176 


PUBLISHING  INTERESTS. 

Brenneman,  and  H.  S.  Hallman,  was  elected  for  that 
purpose,  with  authority  to  proceed  to  publish.13  This 
was  done  in  the  English  language,  and  the  book  was 
called  The  Standard  Church  Hymnal. 

It  seems  that  the  use  of  the  Hymnal  never  became  gen- 
eral. This  called  for  a  resolution  at  the  General  Con- 
ference of  1896,  as  follows: 

"Resolved,  That  the  Standard  Church  Hymnal  of  our 
church,  as  compiled  by  the  committee  of  last  General 
Conference,  be  used  in  all  our  regular  English  church 
services."14 

A  motion  was  made  at  the  General  Conference  of  1900 
to  have  a  new  Hymnal,  but  was  defeated.15  Since  that 
date  no  church  hymnal  has  been  published  nor  strongly 
advocated,  possibly  due  to  the  persistency  with  which 
music  publishers  have  pushed  their  products.  The  On- 
tario, Michigan  and  Canadian  North  West  Conferences, 
however,  jointly  issued  a  Hymnal  in  1907,  which  was 
used  quite  generally  in  these  conferences  for  a  number 
of  years. 

Young  People's  Paper. 

The  first  effort  to  supply  a  periodical  for  young  peo- 
ple was  made  when  The  Youth's  Monitor  was  launched 
on  January  1,  1883.  It  was  a  small  monthly  paper,  the 
subscription  price  of  which  was  twenty-five  cents  per 
year.  Quite  a  subscription  list  was  secured,  but  after  a 
few  years  it  was  discontinued.  A  paper  called  The 
Youth's  Banner  was  published  by  H.  S.  Hallman  for  a 
number  of  years,  a  semi-monthly,  which  had  a  circula- 


u  General  Conference  Minutes,  p.  133. 
14  General  Conference  Minutes,  p.  197. 
"  General   Conference  Minutes,   p.   257. 


12 


177 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

tion  of  1,400  copies  in  1900,16  but  it,  too,  has  been  dis- 
continued for  some  time. 

Almost  throughout  the  period  of  the  publication  of 
The  Gospel  Banner,  a  Youths'  Department  has  been  con- 
ducted and  in  recent  years,  both  a  Young  People's  De- 
partment and  a  Boys'  and  Girls'  column  have  been 
strongly  featured. 

Sunday  School  Literature. 

Early  in  the  history  of  the  church  was  the  discovery 
made  that  the  Sunday  Schools  should  be  furnished  with 
a  literature  which  would  teach  the  work  of  God  as  be- 
lieved by  the  church.  On  account  of  the  limited  con- 
stituency, the  only  solution  which  seemed  possible  was 
to  select  the  best  which  was  available  and  encourage 
the  Sunday  Schools  to  order  such  through  the  publish- 
ing house. 

The  necessity  for  a  suitable  series  of  Sunday-School 
literature  became  so  apparent,  that  the  following  reso- 
lution was  passed  at  the  General  Conference  of  1900: 

"Whereas,  some  questionable  literature  has  been 
used;  therefore 

"Resolved,  That  we  recommend  each  annual  confer- 
ence to  make  an  effort  to  ascertain  the  amount  of  Sun- 
day-School literature  they  can  use,  and  consult  the  Pub- 
lisher, H.  S.  Hallman,  who,  under  existing  circum- 
stances, shall  have  the  right  to  decide  the  advisability 
of  publishing  the  same."17 

The  constituency  was  evidently  considered  too  small 
to  maintain  a  series  of  Sunday-School  literature.  At 
any  rate,  is  was  not  launched. 


16  General  Conference  Minutes,  p.  242. 

17  General  Conference  Minutes,  pp.  255-256. 

178 


PUBLISHING  INTERESTS. 

On  January  1,  1911,  The  Bethel  Publishing  Company 
launched  a  complete  series  of  Sunday-School  literature, 
called  The  Bethel  Series,  edited  by  J.  A.  Huffman.  Al- 
though published  with  a  view  of  supplying  a  larger  con- 
stituency than  the  church,  the  series  was  edited  for  the 
purpose  of  furnishing  the  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ 
Church  with  a  series  of  Sunday-School  literature  which 
would  meet  the  long-felt  need  in  every  way.  The  series 
was  successfully  maintained,  and  most  of  the  Sunday 
Schools  of  the  church  availed  themselves  of  the  privilege 
of  their  use.  This  Series  has  grown  constantly.  It  was 
not  until  the  Executive  Board  secured  the  publications 
of  The  Bethel  Publishing  Company  on  January  1,  1918, 
that  the  problem  of  a  Sunday-School  literature  was 
solved  by  the  church. 

Other  Publications. 

Prior  to  1920,  the  Publishing  House  also  produced 
several  much-needed  record  books,  such  as  The  Ideal 
Church  Record,  The  Pastor's  Pocket  Record,  The  Bethel 
Sunday  School  Record,  etc. 

Conference  Publications. 

Besides  the  efforts  of  the  church  as  a  whole  to  carry 
forward  its  publishing  work,  some  efforts  have  been  put 
forth  by  individual  conferences. 

The  Pacific  Conference  began  the  publication  of  a 
small  monthly  periodical  in  1911,  called  The  Gospel 
Preacher.  It  was  continued  until  1915,  when  it  ceased 
to  be  published. 

The  Pennsylvania  Conference,  along  about  1915, 
launched  a  series  of  Sunday-School  literature  called  The 
Christian  Life  Series,  and  two  years  later  began  the 

179 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

publication  of  a  conference  periodical,  called  the  Eastern 
Gospel  Banner,  besides  several  other  periodicals. 

The  publishing  interests  of  the  church  have  passed 
through  various  experiences.  Although  progress  has 
been  slow,  the  publishing  work  of  the  church  has  never 
been  on  a  sounder  nor  more  satisfactory  basis,  and  the 
indications  are  that  the  church  will,  in  an  increasing 
manner,  avail  herself  of  the  use  of  the  silent  but  power- 
ful printed  page,  and  occupy  her  own  literary  field,  sur- 
rounding herself  and  constituency  with  an  enlarging 
body  of  church  literature. 


180 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Foreign  Missions 

The  term  "missions"  has  been  a  frequently  used  one 
all  during  the  progress  of  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ 
history.  Sometimes  it  included  in  its  scope  one  thing, 
and  at  another  time  other  things.  The  little  Mennonite 
Brethren  in  Christ  group  that  settled  in  the  Sunflower 
State  prior  to  1880  and  constituted  one  of  the  earliest 
classes  of  the  church  west  of  the  Mississippi,  was  fre- 
quently referred  to  as  the  "Kansas  Mission."  Thus  a 
group  of  Christians  without  a  regular  pastor,  somewhat 
isolated,  was  a  "mission."  Then  the  Macedonian  call 
of  the  heathen  began  to  be  heard  and  heeded,  and  the 
differentiating  term  which  was  used  was  "Foreign  Mis- 
sions," and  the  former  came  to  be  called  "Home  Mis- 
sions. ' '  Later  the  needs  of  the  cities  with  their  neglected 
population  were  pressed  upon  the  people,  and  a  new 
field  of  activity  was  entered,  which  was  called  "City 
Missions. "  "  Home  Missions ' '  then  included  such  efforts 
as  were  made  to  build  up  groups  of  Christians  into  classes 
or  local  churches.  "Foreign  Missions"  embraced  all 
work  done  to  bring  the  Gospel  to  unevangelized  peo- 
ples. "City  Missions"  represented  the  church  at  work 
in  her  endeavor  to  carry  the  Gospel  into  the  lanes  and 
streets  of  the  crowded  city.  With  these  meanings  the 
above  terms  are  used  in  this  and  the  following  chapter. 

Inasmuch  as  Home  Mission  work  has  constituted  a 
large  part  of  the  building  up  of  various  Conferences, 
with  scarcely  a   dividing  line  between  it  and  regular 

181 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

church  work,  we  shall  not  detain  with  any  special  treat- 
ment of  it — the  story  would  be  too  long  and  too  com- 
plex. In  some  real  sense,  the  whole  of  the  history  of  the 
church,  apart  from  Foreign  and  City  Missions,  is  a  story 
of  Home  Missions.  Consequently,  this  chapter  will  be 
devoted  to  Foreign  Missions,  and  the  next  chapter  to 
City  Missions. 

That  the  church  was  from  the  earliest  interested  in 
Foreign  Missions  is  quite  evident  from  its  expressed  de- 
sire to  enter  upon  such  activity.  The  commission  relat- 
ing to  the  "uttermost  parts"  seems  to  have  rested 
heavily  upon  these  zealous  followers  of  Christ. 

Prior  to  1867,  the  Evangelical  Mennonites  of  Pennsyl- 
vania had  organized  a  Missionary  Society.  The  consti- 
tution of  this  society  which  was  to  embrace  Home  and 
Foreign  Missions,  was  as  follows: 

CONSTITUTION.1 

We,  as  a  small  branch  of  the  Christian  Church,  feel  in  duty 
bound  to  render  obedience  to  the  precepts  of  our  Lord  and 
Savior,  who  offered  up  his  life  out  of  love  towards  us,  in  order 
to  redeem  us  from  eternal  death ;  since  he  has  commanded  his 
Apostles,  as  well  as  all  who  love  him,  to  go  into  all  the  world, 
to  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature  (Mark  16:15),  and  to 
preach  repentance  and  remission  of  sins  among  all  nations 
(Luke  24:47),  we,  as  a  small  division  of  the  Mennonite  So- 
ciety, feel  it  also  our  duty  to  organize  a  Missionary  Society 
to  contribute  our  mite  to  the  great  work  of  our  Lord.  May  the 
Lord  grant  willing  hearts  and  open  hands,  besides  his  rich 
blessing. 

Article  1.  This  society  shall  be  called  "The  Home  and  For- 
eign Missionary  Society  of  the  Evangelical  Mennonite  Society 
of  East  Pennsylvania."  The  aim  of  it  shall  be  to  hit  upon  such 
measures,  by  contributions  and  means  of  prayer,  that  the  king- 
dom of  Christ  may  be  extended  by  missionaries. 


Evangelical  Mennonite  Discipline,  Edition  of  1867. 

182 


FOREIGN  MISSIONS. 

Article  2.  Every  congregation  shall  organize  a  missionary 
class,  and  the  preacher  or  deacon  shall  hold  a  missionary  meet- 
ing every  three  months,  and  every  member  of  onr  society,  quar- 
terly, shall  voluntarily  contribute  a  certain  sum  for  its  sup- 
port, according  as  the  Lord  has  blessed  him.  Also,  members 
of  other  confessions  may  join  such  classes  to  assist  in  advancing 
the  work  of  the  Lord. 

Article  3.  The  society  shall  hold  a  yearly  meeting  a  short 
time  before  the  spring  sitting  of  the  semi-annual  conference, 
to  elect  officers  for  the  society  and  to  transact  other  business : 
on  which  occasion  a  missionary  sermon  shall  be  preached  and 
a  public  collection  shall  be  held  for  the  benefit  of  the  mission- 
ary cause. 

Article  4.  The  officers  of  this  society  shall  be  a  president, 
a  secretary,  and  a  treasurer,  who  shall  all  be  members  of  the 
Evangelical  Mennonite  Society,  and  shall  be  elected  annually ; 
by  its  agreement,  however,  they  shall  be  eligible  again. 

Article  5.  Every  congregation  or  missionary  class  shall 
elect  a  secretary  and  a  treasurer  for  a  term  of  three  years. 
The  duty  of  the  secretary  shall  be  to  keep  a  book  in  which  he 
shall  enter  the  names  of  the  members  opposite  to  their  con- 
tributions. The  treasurer  shall  receive  all  contributions  paid 
in  and  shall  annually  pay  them  over  to  the  chief  treasurer  of 
the  society. 

It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  president  to  see  that  the  regula- 
tions of  the  constitution  be  observed  in  all  respects  and  to  pre- 
side over  the  yearly  meeting  and  all  business  meetings ;  in  case, 
however,  the  president  be  absent,  deceased,  or  deposed  from 
his  office,  the  secretary  shall  take  his  place. 

Article  8.  The  secretary  shall  take  note  of  all  the  trans- 
actions of  the  society  and  transcribe  them  in  a  register,  shall 
record  the  amounts  collected  which  at  each  meeting  are  handed 
in  to  the  treasurer,  and  keep  an  account  of  other  contributions 
to  the  society.  In  case  the  offices  of  the  president  and  secre- 
tary have  become  vacant,  their  duties  shall  devolve  upon  the 
treasurer  until  their  places  be  filled  by  an  election  at  an  annual 
meeting.  Should  the  office  of  the  treasurer  become  vacant,  the 
president  shall  appoint  a  person  to  fill  the  vacancy  until  an 
annual  meeting  of  the  society.     Should  it  become  necessary  at 

183 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

any  time  for  the  secretary  to  take  the  place  of  the  president, 
he  may  appoint  himself  an  assistant. 

Article  8.  The  treasurer  of  the  society  shall  receive  all 
moneys  of  the  class  treasurers,  and  all  bequests  or  presents 
given  for  the  society,  and  shall  keep  a  book  in  which  he  shall 
enter  punctually  all  the  receipts  of  the  society ;  both  he  and  the 
secretary,  every  time  after  a  lapse  of  six  months,  shall  present 
their  books  at  the  sitting  of  the  semi-annual  conference  and 
exhibit  an  accurate  account  of  their  receipts  and  expenditures. 

Article  9.  Every  preacher  who  has  been  commissioned  as 
a  missionary  by  the  Council  shall  present  to  the  conference  an 
accurate  report  of  his  travels  and  labors,  and  of  his  receipts 
and  expenditures,  semi-annually  or  annually,  as  he  shall  be 
called  upon,  and  the  conference  shall  then  grant  an  order  on 
the  treasurer  in  his  favor,  specifying  the  amouut  he  shall  pay 
him  out  of  the  treasury. 

Article  10.  At  any  time  an  addition  or  amendment  may  be 
made  to  this  Constitution  by  agreement  of  two-thirds  of  the 
Council  members. 

This  constitution  is  of  historic  interest,  since  it  rep- 
resents the  first  organized  effort  for  the  purpose  of  mis- 
sionary endeavor  in  the  history  of  the  movement. 

At  the  annual  conference  of  the  Evangelical  United 
Mennonites  of  Canada,  held  in  Waterloo,  Ontario,  in 
June,  1881,  a  Foreign  Missionary  Society  was  organ- 
ized. A  committee  of  three,  consisting  of  J.  Y.  Shantz,  J. 
H.  Steckley,  and  John  McNally  was  elected  to  formulate 
a  constitution.2.  This  was  the  first  definite  step  toward 
purely  foreign  missionary  effort  in  the  church.  The 
committee  appointed  to  formulate  a  constitution  re- 
ported at  the  annual  conference  of  1882,  but  the  con- 
stitution formed  was  considered  inadequate,  as  it  failed 
to  specify  certain  important  items.  A  new  committee, 
composed  of  J.  Y.  Shantz,  John  McNally,  and  Joseph 


Gospel  Banner,  June   1,  1881,  p.  93. 

184 


FOREIGN  MISSIONS. 

Bingeman  was  appointed  to  perfect  the  constitution.3 
This  committee  reported  at  the  annual  conference  of 
April,  1883,  and  the  constitution  was  adopted.4  The  con- 
stitution has  seven  articles,  as  follows: 

CONSTITUTION. 

Article  1.  This  society  shall  be  known  as  the  "Foreign  and 
Heathen  Missionary  Society  of  the  E.  U.  Mennonite  Church 
of  Canada." 

Article  2.  The  object  of  this  society  shall  be  the  spreading 
of  the  Gospel  in  foreign  countries  and  among  the  heathen  in 
our  own  country.  Funds  to  be  raised  for  this  purpose  by  col- 
lections and  voluntary  subscriptions.  Bequests  to  advance  the 
glorious  cause  shall  be  faithfully  carried  out. 

Article  3.  Any  person  paying  one  dollar  or  collecting  two 
for  this  society  shall  be  a  member  for  one  year.  Any  person 
paying  twenty  dollars,  either  at  once  or  in  four  equal  annual 
installments,  shall  be  a  life  member  and  shall  receive  a  cer- 
tificate to  that  effect.  Any  person  paying  fifty  dollars  in  one 
payment  shall  be  an  advisory  member  of  this  society. 

Article  4.  The  officers  of  this  society  shall  consist  of  a 
president,  secretary,  treasurer,  and  five  directors,  chosen  an- 
nually by  the  yearly  conference  from  among  the  life  members 
and  advisory  directors  of  this  society.  These  five  directors 
shall  form  the  executive  body.  They  shall  hold  one  meeting  just 
previous  to  or  during  the  sitting  of  the  annual  conference — 
to  frame  and  deliver  report  to  the  annual  conference.  If  re- 
quired, the  directors  may  hold  as  many  meetings  as  they  think 
necessary  during  the  year — such  meetings  to  be  called  by  the 
president,  or,  in  his  absence,  by  the  secretary  and  treasurer. 
The  secretary  and  treasurer  shall  hold  or  invest  all  moneys  be- 
queathed or  collected  for  the  society,  to  the  order  of  the  five 
directors,  or  a  majority  of  the  same.  The  directors  shall  have 
power  to  provide  for  expenses  in  publishing  reports,  issuing 
circulars  to  further  the  cause,  out  of  the  fund,  and  otherwise 


3  Gospel  Banner,  May  1,  1882,  p.  71. 

4  Gospel  Banner,  May  1,  1883,  p.  68. 

185 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

to  wisely  appropriate  such  funds  as  they  may  have  for  the 
purpose  according  to  Articles  1  and  2. 

Abticle  5.  It  shall  be  the  business  of  each  minister  to  bring 
the  importance  of  the  cause  before  their  respective  charges. 

Article  6.  Branch  societies  may  be  formed  in  each  Sab- 
bath school.  Each  member  of  such  school,  whether  teacher  or 
pupil,  can  become  a  member  of  such  branch  society  for  one  year 
by  paying  twenty-five  cents  and  shall  get  a  ticket  of  member- 
ship. The  funds  raised  by  such  societies  shall  be  regularly  paid 
into  the  hands  of  the  secretary-treasurer  of  the  society  by  the 
secretary-treasurer  of  such  Sunday  school  half  yearly. 

Article  7.  To  effect  a  change  in  this  Constitution  it  shall 
require  two-thirds  of  the  votes  of  the  members  of  the  society 
present  at  a  meeting  for  such  a  change,  due  notice  having 
been  given  of  such  meeting  to  each  member. 

This  constitution  has  historic  value,  as  it  is  the  first 
constitution  of  a  purely  Foreign  Missionary  Society 
within  the  history  of  the  church.  That  the  society  was 
getting  practical  results  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  in 
1882  the  amount  of  $138.00  was  turned  over  to  S.  S. 
Haury  for  work  among  the  Indians  in  the  United  States, 
and  there  remained  in  the  treasury  $94.25,  which  was 
put  on  interest  until  next  year.5 

The  General  Conference  of  1882  passed  the  following 
resolution : 

"Whereas,  We  see  the  great  necessity  of  doing  For- 
eign missionary  work,  and  inasmuch  as  many  have  mani- 
fested a  desire  to  contribute  to  the  cause;  therefore 

Resolved,  That  each  annual  conference  adopt  a  system 
to  collect  foreign  missionary  funds  and  report  the  same 
to  the  next  General  Conference. ' '° 


5  Gospel  Banner,  July  1,  1882,  p.  101. 

6  General  Conference  Minutes,  p.  44. 

186 


FOREIGN  MISSIONS. 

At  the  General  Conference  of  1885,  the  following 
resolution  was  adopted:  "That  each  annual  conference 
put  forth  earnest  efforts  to  raise  means  for  Heathen  Mis- 
sion Work,  and  each  minister  preach  at  least  once  a  year 
at  each  of  his  appointments  on  the  subject."7 

The  foreign  mission  interest,  in  its  earliest  manifes- 
tation, did  not  have  organized  direction.  The  church  was 
too  busy  with  the  organization  and  prosecution  of  home 
interests  to  enter  so  early  upon  the  larger  missionary 
program. 

It  was  not  until  1890  that  the  first  M.  B.  C.  mission- 
ary set  foot  upon  heathen  soil.  Eusebius  Hershey,  of 
Pennsylvania,  felt  the  call  of  God  upon  the  church,  and 
since  there  were  no  others  who  were  ready  to  go,  decided 
to  go  to  Africa,  in  the  above  named  year. 

This  pioneer  missionary  to  Africa  had  been  a  veritable 
home  missionary  for  forty  years,  traveling  almost  inces- 
santly. He  distributed  tracts,  prayed  with  people,  and 
preached  everywhere  he  went.  In  1882  he  reported  that 
he  had  labored  in  Ontario  eleven  times,  as  well  as  hav- 
ing been  in  the  west.  He  was  weak  in  body  but  courage- 
ous in  spirit,  never  failing  to  make  use  of  the  opportunity 
to  press  Christ's  claims  upon  the  church  to  evangelize 
the  world.  He  was  married,  had  a  wife  and  daughter, 
but  was  seldom  at  home.  At  the  Union  Conference  of 
1883  he  announced  that  the  church  would  have  a  mis- 
sionary in  the  foreign  field  before  long,  but  this  all 
seemed  too  wonderful  to  believe. 

When  Hershey  sailed  to  Africa  in  1890,  he  went  with- 
out a  commission  from  any  conference.  He  was  con- 
sidered too  aged  for  the  undertaking.     It  is  stated  that 


General   Conference   Minutes,   p.   59. 

187 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

as  his  vessel  left  the  harbor,  he  stood  with  his  right  hand 
pointing  heavenward  until  he  passed  beyond  the  range 
of  vision.  He  was  not  only  going  to  Africa,  but  evi- 
dently to  heaven,  by  way  of  Africa,  for  he  soon  suc- 
cumbed to  the  African  climate,  and  his  body  lies  buried 
in  the  sands  of  Liberia. 

It  might  appear  to  the  casual  observer  that  Hershey  's 
African  mission  was  a  failure ;  but  not  so.  While  he  took 
no  direct  conference  approval  nor  commission,  he  took, 
unknown,  perhaps,  to  himself  and  others,  the  hearts  of 
a  score  or  more  of  future  missionaries.  God  had  used 
him  to  press  the  cause  of  missions  upon  hearts  in  the 
homeland,  by  precept,  and  then  permitted  him  to  do  so 
by  example.  The  earliest  M.  B.  C.  missionary  in  China, 
William  Shantz,  writes:  "About  the  time  that  old 
Father  Hershey  went  to  Africa,  I  was  hearing  the  call 
of  heathen  lands.  This  deepened  my  conviction  that  it 
was  time  that  younger  men  should  go."  So  God  used 
this  herald  of  the  cross  to  open  the  way  for  foreign  mis- 
sion work  in  the  church,  and  within  a  few  years  the  new 
generation  of  young  men  and  women,  to  whom  God  had 
spoken,  began  to  offer  themselves. 

Africa. 

In  the  light  of  the  above  one  would  naturally  expect 
that  the  first  foreign  missionary  energy  would  have  been 
directed  toward  Africa;  but  such  was  not  the  case.  It 
was  not  until  1901  that  A.  W.  Banfield,  of  the  Ontario 
Conference,  and  E.  Anthony,  of  the  Michigan  Confer- 
ence, in  company  with  A.  Taylor  and  C.  H.  Robinson, 
of  the  Soudan  Interior  Mission,  left  Canada  for  Africa, 
reaching  Lokoja,  West  Africa,  on  November  29th  of  that 
year.  They  remained  there,  taking  itinerating  trips  from 

188 


The  Jebba  Station,  Jebba,  West  Africa. 


The  Bungalow — Missionaries'  Home  at  Shonga,  West  Africa. 


FOREIGN  MISSIONS. 

that  location  until  March,  1902,  when  they  located  at 
Patigi,  about  160  miles  farther  toward  the  interior.  At 
Patigi  they  lived  in  grass  houses  until  1903,  when  they 
moved  into  a  mud  house.  The  missionaries,  Robinson 
and  Anthony,  were  invalided  home  in  April,  1903,  which 
left  A.  W.  Banfield  alone  on  the  field.  He  returned  home 
in  December,  1904,  after  he  had  sustained  two  attacks  of 
Black  Water  Fever.  This  effort,  too,  seemed  humanly 
speaking,  not  entirely  successful.  It  was  under  the  aus- 
pices of  the  Soudan  Interior  Mission  (interdenomina- 
tional). 

In  1905  the  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ  Missionary 
Society  (General  Board)  was  organized  for  work  in 
Africa,  with  representatives  from  three  conferences :  the 
Ontario,  Indiana  and  Ohio,  and  Michigan.  A.  W.  Ban- 
field  was  elected  field  superintendent.  He  was  married 
to  Miss  Althea  Priest  in  March,  1905,  and  returned  to 
Africa  in  the  autumn  of  the  same  year,  sailing  on  August 
27th  and  arriving  at  Shonga,  about  sixty  miles  beyond 
Patigi,  in  October.  They  took  with  them  an  American 
constructed  bungalow,  built  in  sections,  which  they 
erected  at  Shonga.  This  was  a  great  improvement  over 
former  missionary  houses,  and  added  materially  to  their 
comfort. 

Misses  C.  W.  Pannabecker,  of  Ontario,  and  Florence 
Overholt  (Mrs.  Lang),  of  Michigan,  reached  Shonga  in 
July,  1906.  Miss  E.  Hostetler,  of  Ontario,  and  Ira  W. 
Sherk,  of  Michigan,  arrived  there  in  August  of  the  fol- 
lowing year. 

In  1910  Miss  E.  Hostetler  returned  home  on  furlough, 
and  in  July,  1911,  she,  in  company  with  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
C.  T.  Homuth,  of  Ontario,  arrived  on  the  field.  Miss 
E.  M.  Evans  reached  Africa  in  May,  1913,  and  Allen  J. 

189 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Shultz  and  wife  arrived  in  November  of  the  same  year. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  S.  S.  Shantz  arrived  in  January,  1916. 
These  five  were  all  from  Canada.  Miss  Evans  and  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Shultz  returned  home  on  furlough  in  1916. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shultz  did  not  return  to  Africa  on  account 
of  physical  disability.  H.  R.  Pannabecker,  of  Canada, 
arrived  at  Jebba  in  November,  1915. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  F.  E.  Hein,  of  the  Soudan  Interior  Mis- 
sion, came  to  Mokwa  Station  in  1917.  After  remaining 
two  years,  they  returned  to  America. 

In  1918,  a  party  of  seven  missionaries  arrived  at 
Jebba  on  Christmas  Eve.  The  party  consisted  of  the 
following  persons:  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ira  W.  Sherk  (formerly 
Miss  Evans),  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  Finlay,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
W.  Lageer,  and  Miss  Norah  Shantz.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sherk 
having  been  on  furlough,  returned  as  representatives  of 
the  Michigan  Conference.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Finlay  repre- 
sented the  Alberta  Conference,  while  the  last-named 
three  were  sent  from  the  Ontario  Conference.  Splendid 
Christmas  gift  from  the  church  to  dark  Africa! 

The  M.  B.  C.  stations  were  opened  as  follows :  Shonga, 
1905;  Jebba,  1909;  Mokwa,  1911. 

In  1911  A.  W.  Banfield,  at  the  invitation  of  the  other 
missionary  societies,  began  the  operation  of  a  small  print- 
ing plant,  which  eventually  grew  to  quite  large  propor- 
tions. He  began  Bible  Society  work  in  1915,  and  in  1918 
was  appointed  by  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society 
as  its  secretary  for  West  Africa,  and  the  printing  plant 
was  transferred  to  the  Soudan  Interior  Mission.  During 
the  time  the  plant  was  operated  by  Mr.  Banfield,  por- 
tions of  the  Scriptures  and  other  literature  were  printed 
in  eleven  Nigerian  languages. 

In  May,  1907,  the  Nupe  Language  Conference  was 

190 


FOREIGN  MISSIONS. 

formed,  including  all  the  missionaries  in  the  three  so- 
cieties working  among  the  Nupe  tribe.  Mr.  Banfield  was 
appointed  secretary  and  chief  translator  for  the  con- 
ference, and  was  asked  to  translate  the  Four  Gospels, 
which  he  proceeded  to  do.  In  1910  he  translated  the 
Acts,  and  in  1914  he  translated  from  Romans  to  Revela- 
tion, thus  completing  the  New  Testament.  He  has  also 
translated  the  Psalms,  Proverbs,  and  Genesis;  has  com- 
piled a  Nupe-English  and  English-Nupe  Dictionary  in 
two  volumes  with  over  twelve  thousand  words;  a  Nupe 
Grammar,  a  book  of  Bible  Stories  of  three  hundred  pages, 
a  book  containing  six  hundred  and  twenty-three  Nupe 
proverbs,  school  books,  and  some  hymns.  It  is  his  in- 
tention to  complete  the  translation  of  the  Bible  into  the 
Nupe  language. 

Besides  the  work  carried  on  by  the  M.  B.  C.  Missionary 
Society  in  Africa,  several  other  missionaries  were  rep- 
resenting the  church  in  other  parts.  Miss  Ida  Mae  Comp- 
ton,  of  the  Nebraska  Conference,  went  to  British-South 
Africa  in  1903,  under  the  Hepzibah  Faith  Missionary 
Association.  She  labored  with  this  society  until  October, 
1909,  when  she  returned  to  America.  She  died  in  Decem- 
ber of  the  same  year.  Miss  Maude  Cretors,  also  of  the 
Nebraska  Conference,  went  to  British-South  Africa  in 
1904.  She  labored  with  the  Hepzibah  Faith  Missionary 
Association  until  1906.  The  rest  of  her  ten  years  in 
Africa  were  spent  laboring  with  the  Free  Methodists  at 
various  stations  in  British  South  Africa.  She  returned 
in  1914.  In  1916  the  Pennsylvania  Conference  adopted 
as  their  missionaries  Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  E.  Crist  at  Boma, 
Congo  Beige,  West  Africa;  also  in  1917,  E.  R.  Hess,  and 
in  1920,  M.  E.  Barter,  of  the  same  place. 


191 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

China. 

The  first  M.  B.  C.  missionary  in  China  was  William 
Shantz,  of  Canada,  who  went  in  1895.  He  remained  on 
the  field  eleven  years  before  returning  on  furlough. 
After  he  had  been  on  the  field  about  six  years,  he  married 
Miss  Mary  Davidson,  a  missionary  of  the  Baptist  Church, 
who  later  united  with  the  M.  B.  C.  Church.  They  have 
labored  continuously  in  China  under  the  Christian  and 
Missionary  Alliance,  although  supported  by  the  Ontario 
Conference.  Their  field  has  been  Wuhu  and  Tatung. 
Mr.  Shantz  has  the  distinction  of  being  the  first  mission- 
ary sent  out  by  the  M.  B.  C.  Church  fully  credentialed 
and  supported. 

Miss  Ella  Rudy,  then  of  the  Indiana  and  Ohio  Con- 
ference, went  to  China  in  1907.  She,  too,  labored  under 
the  Christian  and  Missionary  Alliance,  being  partially 
supported  by  her  conference. 

C.  F.  Snyder,  of  the  Pennsylvania  Conference,  went 
to  China  in  1897,  where  he  labored  under  the  C.  and 
M.  Alliance  Board.  Miss  Phoebe  P.  Brenneman,  of  the 
Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference,  went  out  in  1904,  and  was 
married  to  missionary  Snyder  in  1908.  They  have  la- 
bored extensively  in  Kansu  Province,  although  they 
spent  several  years  in  Thibet.  Mrs.  Snyder's  support 
was  later  assumed  by  the  Pennsylvania  Conference. 

Since  1913  W.  N.  Ruhl  has  also  represented  the  Penn- 
sylvania Conference  in  Kansu  Province;  also  William 
Christie,  since  1915. 

South  America. 

Missionary  interest  in  South  America  dates  to  1897, 
when  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  L.  Weiss  went  to  Chile,  and 
opened  work  in  that  republic.     They  were  reinforced 

192 


A  Few  Missionaries  and  Native  Christians  <>f  Hochow,  Kansu 
Province,  China. 


Baptismal  Scene  i\  Chile,  South   America,  Principally   Among  the 

Indi  \\>. 


FOREIGN  MISSIONS. 

in  1904  by  the  coming  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  W.  Feldges. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  M.  P.  Zook  have  labored  in  Chile  since 
1905.  Miss  Anna  LaFevre  was  added  to  the  force  of 
workers  in  1911,  and  Mrs.  Nettie  Meier  in  1919,  the  lat- 
ter not  being  a  member  of  the  M.  B.  C.  Church,  but  sup- 
ported, with  the  above-named,  by  the  Pennsylvania  Con- 
ference. The  work  in  Chile  has  been  conducted  in  the 
regions  of  Osorno,  Valdivia,  Victoria  and  Temnco. 

In  December  of  1908,  Miss  Frances  Bechler,  of  the 
Pacific  Conference,  sailed  for  South  America,  arriving 
there  in  February  of  1919.  She  spent  several  years  la- 
boring in  the  regions  of  Valdivia  and  Valparaiso,  Chile. 
She  was  called  to  her  reward  in  1911.  Her  labors  were 
in  connection  with  the  Christian  and  Missionary  Al- 
liance Board,  though  supported  by  her  conference. 

Turkey. 

In  1898  Miss  Rose  Lambert,  of  Indiana  (Mrs.  David 
Musselman),  and  Miss  M.  A.  Gerber  went  to  Turkey  to 
take  up  work  among  the  Armenian  children  who  had 
been  left  orphans  by  the  massacre  of  1896.  They  be- 
lieved that  God  had  called  them  to  this  work  and  that 
God  Himself  would  supply  the  need.  They  sailed  from 
New  York  November  12,  1898,  and  arrived  at  Hadjin, 
Turkey,  on  December  28.  By  the  help  of  interested 
friends  in  Europe  and  America,  they  were  enabled  to 
begin  the  orphanage  work  in  the  spring  of  1899,  and  by 
autumn  had  175  orphans  under  their  care.  There  were 
two  homes  opened — one  for  girls  and  the  other  for  boys 
— and  by  1905  the  number  of  orphans  had  reached,  in 
both  homes,  305. 

On  March  4,  1900,  Misses  Fredericka  Honk  and  Ada 
Moyer  (Mrs.  T.  F.  Barker)  arrived  at  Hadjin  to  assist 

13  193 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

in  the  orphanage  work.  They  were  both  from  Canada. 
A  little  later,  in  1900,  J.  E.  Fidler  and  wife,  of  Penn- 
sylvania, joined  the  workers.  He  served  as  superin- 
tendent while  on  the  field.  In  April  of  1901,  T.  F. 
Barker,  of  Canada,  went  to  Turkey  and  was  married  to 
Miss  Ada  Moyer  upon  his  arrival  upon  the  field.  He 
became  superintendent  of  the  work  in  1902,  and  con- 
tinued in  that  capacity  until  the  work  was  closed  on 
account  of  the  war,  in  1914.  In  1905  Miss  Ida  Tschumi 
and  Miss  Helen  Penner.  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  also  ar- 
rived to  assist  in  the  work. 

In  1905  Henry  Maurer,  of  Indiana,  was  sent  to  share 
in  the  work  in  Turkey.  He  was  married  in  1907,  to 
Miss  Elizabeth  Hawley,  a  missionary  doctor,  who  also 
joined  the  workers  in  Turkey.  In  February,  1909, 
Misses  Dorinda  and  Anna  Bowman,  from  Michigan, 
reached  Hadjin,  and  were  welcomed  as  much-needed  re- 
inforcement. In  the  fall  of  1909  three  more  were  added 
to  the  missionary  group  at  Hadjin.  They  were  Misses 
Katherine  Bredemus  and  Norah  Lambert,  of  Indiana, 
and  Miss  Ethel  Nelson,  of  Ontario. 

From  the  first  the  work  in  Turkey  had  grown.  It  had 
become,  in  some  sense,  an  industrial  mission.  There  were 
so  many  people  who  were  destitute,  at  the  same  time 
unemployed,  that  it  was  considered  wise  to  provide  em- 
ployment for  them  at  a  very  meager  wage,  so  that  they 
might  live,  rather  than  to  treat  them  as  subjects  of  char- 
ity. This  would  encourage  industry  and  place  them 
upon  their  own  resources,  in  a  measure.  Widows  were 
employed  to  wash,  spin,  and  weave.  A  native  shoe  shop 
was  opened  for  the  employment  of  men.  A  small  shoe 
store,  a  dry  goods  store,  and  a  bakery  were  also  con- 
ducted.    Besides  furnishing  employment  for  men,  these 

194 


The  Missionaries'  Home  in  the  Vineyard  at  Hadjin,  Turkey. 
Destroyed  in  lO^O  during  Hadjin  seige. 


The  Girls'  Home,  Hadjin,  Turkey. 
Km iicd  during  the  World  War  by  the  Turks 


FOREIGN  MISSIONS. 

small  industries  netted  a  fair  margin  of  profit.  At 
the  same  time  opportunity  for  spiritual  work,  both 
among  the  men  and  women,  was  afforded. 

The  number  of  workers  who  attached  themselves  to  the 
work  in  Turkey,  up  to  and  including  the  year  1909, 
did  not  increase  the  force  permanently,  as  would  be 
supposed.  J.  E.  Fidler's  stay  was  comparatively  short, 
he,  with  his  wife,  returning  to  America  in  1903. 

Besides,  there  were  several  deaths,  which  cast  a 
shadow  of  gloom  upon  th  workers.  Miss  Adeline  Brunk, 
of  Indiana,  who  returned  with  Rose  Lambert  from  her 
furlough  in  1905,  took  sick  with  typhoid  fever  three 
weeks  after  her  arrival,  and  died  on  December  11.  Mrs. 
Henry  Maurer  also  succumbed  to  the  same  disease  in 
September,  1908.  Henry  Maurer  was  shot  by  a  fanatical 
mob  of  Moslems  in  Adana  on  April  15,  1909.  Miss 
Fredericka  Honk  had  taken  ill  with  typhoid  in  1908,  an 
illness  from  which  she  never  fully  recovered.  On  her 
way  home,  the  following  year,  she  became  worse  and 
was  taken  to  a  hospital  in  Alexandria,  Egypt,  where  she 
died  on  May  30,  1909. 

Several  were  compelled  to  leave  the  field  for  other 
reasons.  On  account  of  poor  health,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Barker  were  obliged  to  take  a  somewhat  extended  fur- 
lough, beginning  in  April,  1907.  The  Miss  Bowmans 
came  just  at  a  time  when  the  workers  had  been  reduced 
to  a  small  number,  and  were  much  in  need  of  cheer  and 
help.  They  arrived  just  a  few  weeks  before  the  mas- 
sacre of  1909  began,  the  strain  of  which  caused  the 
breakdown  of  the  health  of  Miss  Rose  Lambert  so  that 
she  was  obliged  to  return  to  America  early  in  1910, 
not  to  return  to  Turkey. 

From  the  beginning  of  the  work  it  had  been  carried  on 
195 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

interdenominationally.  The  United  Orphanage  and  Mis- 
sion was  the  name  of  the  organization  effected,  for  the 
purpose  of  carrying  on  the  work  more  systematically. 

While  the  work  had  been  conducted  in  an  interde- 
nominational way,  no  small  part  of  the  support  of  the 
work  came  from  the  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ 
Church,  and  the  Board  has  at  all  times  been  predomi- 
nantly of  M.  B.  C.  membership. 

The  year  1910  marked  a  new  era  in  the  history  of  the 
work  in  Turkey.  In  the  spring  of  1910  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
D.  C.  Eby,  of  Ontario,  were  sent  out  to  fill  the  vacancy 
occasioned  by  the  death  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Maurer.  They 
reached  Hadjin  in  March  of  that  year. 

The  Hadjin  missionaries,  who  had  long  desired  to  ex- 
tend their  work  into  other  needy  sections,  felt  that  with 
the  coming  of  the  reinforcements  of  1909  and  1910,  they 
were  able  to  enter  another  district.  In  July,  1910,  Mr. 
Barker  and  Mr.  Eby  set  out  on  a  tour  of  inspection, 
with  a  view  of  selecting  a  second  location  in  which  to 
conduct  orphanage  work.  After  visiting  a  number  of 
cities,  Everek,  a  city  several  days'  journey  on  horseback 
from  Hadjin,  was  chosen  as  the  one  to  be  recommended 
to  the  Home  Board  for  the  second  station.  Everek  is  lo- 
cated about  twenty-five  miles  from  Cassarea,  in  Cappa- 
docia. 

The  work  was  opened  in  Everek  in  September  of  that 
year,  in  charge  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barker,  assisted  by 
Misses  Katherine  Bredemus  and  Ethel  Nelson,  and  was 
made  the  Boys'  Orphanage.  At  Hadjin  a  school  had 
been  provided  by  the  American  Board,  and  the  Girls' 
Orphanage,  which  was  continued  there,  shared  in  this 
school  by  paying  towards  the  support  of  the  same.  At 
Everek,   however,   it   was  necessary  to   open  a  school, 

196 


FOREIGN  MISSIONS. 

which  was  done  promptly,  with  nine  grades,  with  seven 
native  teachers,  four  of  whom  were  boys  from  the  or- 
phanage, who  had  been  brought  along  from  Hadjin.  The 
work  at  Everek  received  new  recruits  in  the  persons  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  D.  J.  Storms,  of  Ontario,  in  1913. 

The  work  at  these  two  stations  was  continued  uninter- 
ruptedly until  the  war  broke  out  in  1914.  A  number  of 
the  workers  being  Canadian  subjects,  it  was  not  possible 
to  continue  with  Turkey  at  war  with  Great  Britain  and 
Canada.  Accordingly,  the  two  stations  were  closed,  and 
the  missionaries  returned  to  America  in  December  of 
1914.  The  missionary  party  at  both  stations,  when  com- 
pelled to  return  to  America  in  1914,  was  composed  of 
the  following:  Mrs.  T.  F.  Barker  and  children  (Mr. 
Barker  having  returned  early  in  the  year),  Katherine 
Bredemus,  Norah  Lambert  (Mrs.  Oscar  Sommer),  Do- 
rinda  Bowman,  Anna  Bowman,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  D.  C.  Eby, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  D.  J.  Storms. 

The  great  work  done  in  Turkey  cannot  be  accredited 
alone  to  the  M.  B.  C.  Church,  much  less  to  any  one  con- 
ference of  the  church.  The  hundreds  of  orphans  housed, 
clothed,  fed,  educated,  and  the  untold  numbers  who  had 
been  touched  by  the  spiritual  message  constitute  an  ac- 
complishment the  credit  for  which  God  alone  can  de- 
termine. The  fellowship  of  this  work,  as  it  was  shared 
by  various  conferences,  was  as  follows:  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
T.  F.  Barker,  Miss  Ethel  Nelson,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  D.  J. 
Storms  were  supported  by  the  Ontario  Conference ;  Miss 
Rose  Lambert,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  E.  Fidler  by  the  Penn- 
sylvania Conference;  Miss  Frederika  Honk,  Henry 
Maurer,  Miss  Katherine  Bredemus,  and  Miss  Norah  Lam- 
bert by  the  Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference;  Misses  Do- 
rinda  and  Anna  Bowman  by  the  Michigan  Conference; 

197 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  D.  C.  Eby  by  the  Alberta  Conference. 
At  the  close  of  the  war,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  D.  C.  Eby  and 
Miss  Bredemus  were  sent  by  the  Board  to  resume  work 
among  the  Armenians  in  Turkey,  all  the  more  needy 
after  several  years  of  hardship,  cruelty,  and  deporta- 
tions. They  sailed  on  August  2,  1919,  and  arrived  in 
Hadjin  on  September  12.  They  found  that  the  Girls' 
Orphanage  building  had  been  burned  during  the  war, 
but  that  the  missionaries'  home  had  not  been  destroyed. 
Very  soon  a  company  of  orphans  was  gathered  around 
them,  and  the  work  gave  promise  of  permanency.  Dur- 
ing the  last  week  in  March,  1920,  Hadjin  was  besieged 
by  the  Nationalists  (Kemalists),  and  after  almost  three 
months  of  continuous  siege,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eby,  Miss 
Katie  Bredemus,  and  three  other  American  mission- 
aries escaped  from  the  city  while  it  was  yet  under  siege, 
and  succeeded  in  arriving  at  Constantinople  on  July  2. 
From  Constantinople  they  went  to  the  Island  of  Cyprus, 
awaiting  developments  in  Turkey.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eby 
returned  to  America  in  November,  1920. 

India. 

In  the  fall  of  1908  Miss  Fanny  Matheson  and  Miss 
Ruby  Reeve,  of  Ontario,  went  to  India  and  labored  un- 
der Bishop  Warne,  of  the  Methodist  Church.  Miss  Reeve 
labored  in  Calcutta  and  Miss  Matheson  in  Tamluk. 

Miss  Reeve  married  a  native  Indian  Christian  in  1913. 
Miss  Matheson,  after  a  furlough  in  1915,  returned  to 
her  station  at  Tamluk. 

Miss  Laura  Steckley  went  to  India  in  1909,  where  she 
labored  in  the  Province  of  Bengal  for  five  and  a  half 
years  with  the  Hepzibah  Faith  Missionary  Association. 
When  she  returned  to  America  in  1915,  she  united  with 

198 


FOREIGN  MISSIONS. 

the  M.  B.  C.  Church  (Nebraska  Conference),  expecting 
to  represent  them  in  India  as  soon  as  the  way  opens  for 
her  return. 

Miss  Myrtle  Williams  also  went  to  India  in  1909  and 
labored  with  the  Hepzibah  Faith  Missionary  Association 
for  several  years.  Upon  her  return  to  America  she  also 
united  with  the  M.  B.  C.  Church  (Pacific  Conference), 
and  in  1919  returned  to  India  together  with  Miss  Emma 
L.  Kinnan.  They  are  laboring  at  Raghunathpur,  Men- 
bhoom  District,  Behar,  India,  with  the  Hepzibah  Faith 
Missionary  Association  as  representatives  of  the  Pacific 
Conference,  by  whom  they  are  supported. 

The  Pennsylvania  Conference  has  had  a  missionary  in 
the  Kaira  District  since  1917,  in  the  person  of  S.  P.  Ham- 
ilton, also  Mrs.  S.  P.  Hamilton  since  1920.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Samuel  Kerr  have  been  in  Gujarat  Province  since  1920. 
The  reinforcements  added  by  the  same  Conference  dur- 
ing 1920  were:  Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  R.  Carner  and  Miss 
Eunice  Wells. 

Annam. 

In  1919  the  Pennsylvania  Conference  accepted  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  William  C.  Cadman  as  their  missionaries  to 
Annam  (French  Indo-China).  Some  progress  has  been 
made  among  the  Annamese,  two  chapels  having  been 
built  and  four  hundred  and  fifty  children  having  been 
enrolled  in  the  Sunday  School  by  1919.  In  1920  Mr. 
F.  L.  Dodds  and  Mr.  R.  M.  Jackson  were  added  to  the 
force  of  workers. 

Palestine. 

It  was  not  until  1919  that  the  M.  B.  C.  Church  began 
the  support  of  missionaries  in  Palestine,  when  the  Penn- 
sylvania Conference  adopted  Mr.  E.  O.  Jago,  and  Miss 

199 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Mary  A.  Butterfield  of  the  Christian  and  Missionary  Al- 
liance to  support.  These  missionaries  have  been  labor- 
ing in  Jerusalem,  where  a  promising  station  has  been 
organized  right  in  the  religious  capital  of  the  world,  and 
in  the  identical  city  where  He  who  gave  the  commission 
to  the  Church  to  evangelize  the  world  was  crucified. 

Methods. 

Until  1920  the  foreign  mission  work  of  the  church  had 
no  general  head.  Each  conference  had  its  own  foreign 
mission  committee  or  board,  and  besides  these,  two  inter- 
conference  boards  had  been  organized:  the  African 
Board  and  the  Armenian  Board. 

A  conviction  had  been  entertained  early  on  the  part 
of  some,  that  greater  success  could  be  achieved  by  a 
uniting  of  the  forces  of  the  various  conferences  in  for- 
eign mission  work.  In  1904  the  Ontario  Conference  pe- 
titioned General  Conference  for  a  General  Conference 
Foreign  Mission  Board,  but  the  petition  was  not  granted. 
The  Nebraska  Conference  did  the  same  thing  in  1908, 
with  the  same  result. 

The  General  Conference  of  1920  was  petitioned  by 
three  conferences — the  Ontario,  Indiana  and  Ohio,  and 
Nebraska — with  the  result  that  the  request  was  granted. 
The  following  resolution  was  passed: 

"Resolved,  that  the  recommendations  of  the  Ontario, 
Indiana  and  Ohio,  and  Nebraska  Conferences  be 
granted;  that  a  General  Conference  Foreign  Mission 
Board  be  organized;  that  all  Conferences  which  desire 
to  unite  in  the  same  be  encouraged  to  do  so;  that  no 
Conference  be  required  to  do  so." 

The  above  action  of  General  Conference  provides  for 
the  organization  of  the  foreign  mission  work  of  the 

200 


FOREIGN  MISSIONS. 

church  on  a  basis  which  makes  united  purpose  and 
effort  possible,  without  the  overlapping  of  interests. 
While  a  very  commendable  amount  of  work  has  been  ac- 
complished by  the  past  methods,  it  is  hopefully  expected 
that  the  future  will  result  in  greater  accomplishment  in 
foreign  mission  endeavor. 

Note. — Of  the  various  foreign  missionaries  named  as  being  sup- 
ported by  the  Pennsylvania  Conference,  only  seven  are  members  of 
the  M.  B.  Church:  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  F.  Snyder,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  W. 
Feldges,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  M.  P.  Zook,  and  Mrs.  H.  L.  Weiss.  The 
other  missionaries  named  are  members  of  the  Church  and  the  Con- 
ferences supporting  them. 


201 


CHAPTER  XV. 

City  Missions. 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  great  strides  of  develop- 
ment came  almost  simultaneously  throughout  the  vari- 
ous conferences  of  the  M.  B.  C.  Church.  This  is  so  true 
in  the  matter  of  City  Missions  that  it  is  somewhat  diffi- 
cult to  determine  what  the  order  of  the  historical  narra- 
tive should  be,  especially  in  relation  to  the  three  older 
conferences. 

Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference. 

In  the  Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference  the  beginning  of 
City  Missions  came  about  in  quite  an  unexpected  way. 
At  the  annual  conference  of  1895,  Elder  E.  McDannel 
was  assigned  tabernacle  work  in  the  Indiana  District, 
with  A.  H.  Kauffman  and  Miss  Delia  Huffman  (Mrs. 
H.  E.  Freeze)  as  helpers.  Elder  Jacob  Hygema  was  as- 
signed the  pastorate  of  the  West  Union  Circuit.  Dur- 
ing the  month  of  June  of  that  year.  Elder  Hygema  se- 
cured the  assistance  of  Delia  Huffman  and  held  a  taber- 
nacle meeting  in  South  Bend,  Indiana.  The  meeting  met 
with  considerable  success,  and  an  appeal  was  so  strongly 
made  by  the  converts  and  interested  families  that  the 
work  should  be  continued,  that  a  room  was  secured  and 
a  mission  opened  in  South  Bend  in  July.  There  had  been 
no  such  item  included  in  the  program,  and  it  was  with 
considerable  hesitation  that  the  church  leaders  were  per- 
suaded that  the  work  of  City  Missions  should  be  added 
to  the  activities  of  the  church. 

But  the  conference  caught  the  vision,  at  least  in  a 
202 


CITY  MISSIONS. 

measure,  and  in  1896,  for  the  first  time,  the  annual  con- 
ference minutes  contains  a  group  called  ' '  Mission  Work- 
ers." The  group  consisted  of  A.  H.  Kauffman,  W.  0. 
Mendell,  Delia  Huffman,  and  Phoebe  Brenneman.  They 
were  to  labor  at  the  direction  of  the  Presiding  Elder. 
Phoebe  Brenneman  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  South 
Bend  Mission  for  the  following  year. 

The  second  mission  was  opened  during  the  month  of 
May,  1896,  in  Dayton,  Ohio,  by  Delia  Huffman.  During 
the  same  year  the  interest  had  spread  to  Harshman,  a 
suburb  of  Dayton,  to  the  east,  and  to  the  National  Mil- 
itary Home,  to  the  west.  Perhaps  no  other  mission  in  the 
conference  made  itself  so  quickly  and  generally  felt  as 
the  Dayton  Mission.  Out  of  it  came  several  ministers, 
city  missionaries,  and  one  or  more  foreign  missionaries. 

By  1898  missions  had  been  opened  in  the  following 
cities,  besides  the  above  named:  Elkhart  and  LaFa- 
yette,  Ind. ;  Kalamazoo,  Mich. ;  New  Carlisle  and  Green- 
ville, Ohio;  and  Gibson  City  and  Bloomington,  111.  The 
list  of  workers  assigned  to  missions  was  as  follows :  Mary 
Nunemaker,  Fredericka  Honk,  Ella  Rudy,  Cora  Durst, 
Lydia  Klopfenstein,  Rosa  Stahley,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
H.  E.  Freeze.  The  supply  list  contained  the  following 
names:  Emma  Lockhart,  Katherine  Bredemus,  and 
Olive  Scott. 

By  1900  the  following  missions  had  been  added  to  the 
list :  Goshen,  Middlebury,  and  Laporte,  Indiana.  The 
following  workers  had  been  added :  Margaretha  Werner, 
Bertha  Bartlett,  Cora  Rudy,  Mae  Snyder,  Anna  Oden, 
Ida  Virgin,  Emma  Sando,  Emma  Swank,  Edith  Herri- 
man,  Amanda  Hall,  Jennie  Little,  Lucy  Pittman,  Maud 
Cretors,  Anna  McAfee,  Ida  Monn,  Flossie  Lamb,  and 
Flora  Yoder. 

203 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Between  the  years  1900  and  1904  there  were  only  four 
new  missions  opened:  Plymouth  and  Mishawaka,  In- 
diana, and  Arcanum  and  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  The  workers 
who  were  added  to  the  list  during  this  period  were 
Vianna  Longenecker,  Bertha  Weaver,  Emma  Lambert, 
Lena  Knell,  Mae  Talmage,  Delia  Troyer,  and  Julia  Ran- 
dolph. 

Since  1904  there  have  been  only  two  City  Missions 
opened  in  the  conference:  Springfield  and  Lima,  Ohio. 
There  have  been  several  new  workers  added  to  the  list : 
Ethel  Amy  Walker,  Edith  Schryer,  Mamie  Helscel  (Mrs. 
Frank  Long),  Mabel  Angelmyer,  Mary  Steele,  and  Fern 
Clark. 

The  City  Missions  within  the  conference  have  all  been 
discontinued  as  such.  Some  of  them  have  become  regu- 
lar churches,  among  which  are :  Greenville,  Dayton,  New 
Carlisle,  Springfield,  and  Lima,  0.,  and  Mishawaka,  Ind. 
Some  of  the  workers  have  gone  to  foreign  missions ;  some 
have  transferred  to  other  conferences;  some  have  mar- 
ried; and  several  continue  in  the  capacity  of  assistants. 

The  City  Mission  work  has,  with  the  exception  of  one 
year,  been  directed  by  the  Presiding  Elders.  In  1908 
I.  P.  Moore  was  elected  as  Superintendent  of  Missions, 
and  served  one  year,  at  the  end  of  which  the  work  was 
again  placed  under  the  direction  of  the  Presiding  Elders. 
Since  the  cessation  of  activity  in  the  direction  of  City 
Missions,  the  conference  has  been  featuring  Church  Ex- 
tension work,  which  is,  in  reality,  mission  work  which 
belongs  more  directly  to  the  Home  Mission  class. 

Ontario  Conference. 

In  1898  the  Ontario  Conference  had  seven  mission 
workers,  but  no  City  Missions  had  as  yet  been  opened. 

204 


CITY  MISSIONS. 

The  names  of  the  workers  were  reported  as  follows: 
Emma  Hostettler,  Sarah  Klahr,  S.  Madden,  Jennie 
Little,  Laura  Moyer,  Saloma  Cressman,  and  M.  E.  Chat- 
ham. 

The  conference  of  1899  reports  an  addition  to  the  list 
of  workers  as  follows:  A.  Moyer,  S.  Bowman,  and  M. 
Spree.  Four  missions  had  been  opened  by  this  time,  in- 
cluding Collingwood,  St.  Thomas,  "Woodstock,  and  Owen 
Sound. 

Until  the  year  1902  the  City  Missions  were  in  charge 
of  a  committee  of  three,  elected  by  the  annual  conference, 
usually  including  the  Presiding  Elders.  In  1902  an  or- 
ganization was  effected,  providing  for  a  President  and  a 
Constitution.  The  society  was  called  "The  City  Mission 
Workers'  Society,"  and  Elder  H.  S.  Hallman  was  its 
first  President.  The  society  adopted  a  uniform  dress 
and  was,  in  a  measure,  self-governing.  The  society  was 
composed  of  women  missionaries. 

Between  the  years  1899  and  1902  other  missions  were 
opened,  as  follows :  Toronto  Junction,  St.  Catharines, 
Aylmer,  Sherkston,  Guelph,  and  Waterloo.  The  new 
workers  who  were  added  were :  L.  Shantz,  S.  McQuarni, 
N.  Little,  S.  Pool,  E.  Bertram,  A.  Ball,  L.  Kuntz,  D. 
Young,  M.  Rennie,  E.  Guy,  C.  M.  Rudy,  J.  C.  Krauth, 
E.  Evans,  M.  Dunnington,  A.  Priest,  and  J.  Miller. 

H.  S.  Hallman  served  as  President  of  the  City  Mission 
Workers'  Society  until  1908.  During  this  period  con- 
siderable of  progress  continued  to  be  made.  The  records 
disclose  the  fact  that  the  following  missions  were  opened 
within  the  period :  Mt.  Salem,  Orwell,  New  Market,  Wiar- 
ton,  Ingersoll,  Southampton,  Winnipeg,  Stratford,  To- 
ronto (Dundas  St.),  and  Brandon.  A  large  number  of 
workers  were  also  added  to  the  list  during  the  period: 

205 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

C.  Loop,  H.  Peard,  M.  Good,  E.  Block,  R.  Reeve,  M. 
Markle,  D.  Shantz,  M.  McLelland,  M.  Dresch,  M.  Neill, 
A.  Srigley,  F.  Matheson,  L.  Swalni,  E.  Nelson,  M.  White, 
L.  Holmes,  B.  Barefoot,  B.  Mclntyre,  S.  Cober,  R.  Hos- 
tettler,  M.  Bailey,  M.  Hisey,  E.  Mcintosh,  E.  Shantz,  M. 
Doner,  0.  Bryant,  A.  Bowman,  M.  Devitt,  C.  Brubaker, 
M.  Scheifele,  and  S.  Moyer. 

During  this  period  the  organization  was  developed  to 
a  marked  degree  of  efficiency.  Not  only  had  a  uniform 
dress  been  adopted,  but  one  of  the  number  (not  always 
the  same  one)  served  as  seamstress.  Miss  E.  Block  served 
as  seamstress  for  the  year  1906,  and  Miss  D.  Shantz 
for  1907. 

The  City  Mission  work  was  conducted  very  much  the 
same  in  the  various  missions  from  the  start.  Public 
services  were  held  in  mission  halls  almost  every  evening 
in  the  week.  Open  air  meetings  were  common.  There 
was  much  house  to  house  visitation,  and  during  this 
period  colporteur  work  was  begun. 

In  1908  Elder  J.  N.  Kitching  was  elected  President, 
and  served  continuously  until  1913.  The  work  was  con- 
tinued along  the  lines  previously  developed. 

During  this  period  two  other  missions  were  opened,  as 
follows:  Toronto  (East  End)  and  Hamilton.  The  work- 
ers were  reinforced  by  the  addition  of  the  following  per- 
sons: H.  Thompson,  C.  Pannabecker,  E.  V.  Jacobson,  M. 
Hunsberger,  M.  Kesselring,  M.  Parr,  N.  Shantz,  J. 
Mitchell,  L.  Frey,  0.  Baalim,  M.  Hood,  and  0.  Thistle. 

Elder  C.  N.  Good  was  elected  president  of  the  society 
in  1913,  and  continued  in  that  office  until  1919.  No 
new  missions  were  opened  during  this  period,  although 
several  new  workers  were  added.     They  were:  C.  Dou- 

206 


CITY  MISSIONS. 

brough,  H.  French,  W.  Bell,  E.  Abbott,  E.  Hutchison, 
E.  Raymer,  J.  Eby,  and  B.  Fidler. 

In  1919  Elder  S.  Cressman  was  elected  President. 
During  the  summer  of  1920  a  new  mission  was  opened 
at  Petrolia.  Misses  H.  Rogers  and  M.  Lageer  also  en- 
tered the  work  during  the  year.  S.  Cressman  was  re- 
elected at  the  conference  of  1920. 

As  is  the  case  in  City  Mission  work,  the  number  of 
missions  continued  was  not  as  cumulative  as  one  might 
suppose.  Some  missions  were  closed  for  various  reasons. 
Others  were  organized  into  churches  and  given  pastors. 
At  the  annual  conference  in  1920  seven  missions  were 
reported  going.  They  were  as  follows:  Toronto  (East), 
St.  Catharines,  St.  Thomas,  Stratford,  Wiarton,  Owen 
Sound,  and  Petrolia.  Neither  is  the  list  of  workers  as 
cumulative  through  a  period  of  years  as  a  historic  re- 
counting of  them  would  make  it  appear.  In  relation  to 
this  Society,  quite  a  number,  after  serving  for  a  time 
in  the  homeland,  went  to  foreign  missions.  Some  mar- 
ried, others  left  the  work  for  various  reasons,  and  several 
died.  At  the  annual  conference  in  1919  the  workers 
to  be  stationed  numbered  twenty. 

Pennsylvania  Conference. 

City  Mission  work  was  begun  in  the  Pennsylvania  Con- 
ference about  the  same  time  as  in  the  Indiana  and  Ohio 
and  Ontario  Conferences.  The  first  missionary  society 
was  organized  by  Elder  W.  B.  Musselman,  and  included 
both  men  and  women.  About  1898  a  body  of  women  mis- 
sionaries, including  Mrs.  Lucy  Musselman,  the  widow  of 
Jonas  Musselman,  withdrew  from  the  Mennonite  Breth- 
ren in  Christ  Home  Missionary  Society  (retaining  their 

207 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

individual  membership  with  the  church)  and  organized 
themselves  into  an  unsectarian  Home  Missionary  Society. 
Members  of  different  churches  could  at  the  same  time 
be  members  of  this  organization,  which  was  called  the 
Gospel  Worker  Society.  W.  B.  Musselman  was  elected 
as  President,  which  position  he  has  held  ever  since.  The 
society  is  still  in  existence,  with  headquarters  at  Cleve- 
land, Ohio. 

The  remainder  of  the  society,  from  which  the  Gospel 
Worker  Society  withdrew,  continued,  and  later  became 
known  as  the  Gospel  Herald  Society  (men  only).  Elder 
C.  H.  Brunner  was  the  first  President  of  this  society, 
serving  from  1901-1905.  He  was  succeeded  by  W.  G. 
Gehman,  who  has  served  continuously  since   1905. 

The  Gospel  Herald  Missions  which  later  became  regu- 
larly organized  M.  B.  C.  Churches  are  as  follows:  Sun- 
bury,  Shamokin,  Stroudsburg,  Easton,  and  Philadel- 
phia. Gospel  Herald  Society  missions  are  still  con- 
ducted in  the  following  places :  Scranton,  Lebanon,  Har- 
risburg,  York,  Lancaster,  Philadelphia,  Pa. ;  and  Jersey 
City,  N.  J. 

Michigan  Conference. 

The  Michigan  Conference  began  its  City  Mission  work 
in  1897,  at  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  with  A.  H.  Kauff- 
man  in  charge.  He  was  assisted  by  Sarah  Fink  (Mrs. 
C.  A.  Wright)  and  Nellie  Ritter  (Mrs.  Wheeler).  The 
following  year  Lizzie  Koebke  and  Lydia  Miller  (Mrs. 
Briggs)  were  placed  in  charge,  assisted  a  part  of  the 
year  by  Mary  Swartz  (Mrs.  R.  M.  Dodd).  The  mission 
was  discontinued  at  the  end  of  the  year. 

In  1900  a  mission  was  opened  at  Caro,  in  charge  of 
Lydia  Miller  and  Ella  Nash  (Mrs.  F.  A.  Jones).  This 
mission  was  closed  at  the  end  of  the  year. 

208 


CITY  MISSIONS. 

In  1903  Elder  W.  Graybiel  was  elected  City  Mission 
Superintendent.  During  that  year  three  new  missions 
were  opened,  as  follows:  St.  Clair,  in  charge  of  Lydia 
Miller,  assisted  by  Florence  Overholt  (Mrs.  Lang,  of 
Patigi,  Africa)  ;  Bad  Axe,  in  charge  of  Ella  Nash,  as- 
sisted by  Anna  Bowman ;  Port  Huron,  in  charge  of  Susie 
Dean,  assisted  by  Arnetta  Erb  (Mrs.  0.  B.  Snyder). 

In  1904  the  mission  at  St.  Clair  was  discontinued  and 
one  was  opened  at  Flint,  in  charge  of  Lydia  Miller,  as- 
sisted by  M.  Pigeon.  A  mission  was  also  opened  in  South 
Park  the  same  year,  in  charge  of  Ella  Nash. 

In  1905  the  City  Mission  work  was  again  placed  un- 
der the  supervision  of  the  Presiding  Elders.  No  new 
missions  were  opened  during  the  period  from  1905  to 
1908 ;  but  in  1908  a  mission  was  opened  in  Pontiac,  in 
charge  of  Susie  Dean,  assisted  by  Ora  Spoors. 

In  1911  a  mission  was  opened  in  Jackson,  Michigan, 
in  charge  of  Hattie  Rosenberger,  assisted  by  Mary  Jausi 
(Mrs.  N.  Clemens),  Olive  Stoner,  and  Myrtle  Hall. 
Other  workers  who  were  added  to  the  list  between  1908 
and  1912  were:  Lenora  Annabel,  Ella  Ditty,  and  Viola 
Grody. 

In  1912  a  City  Mission  Board  was  organized  with  a 
view  of  giving  a  larger  efficiency  to  the  City  Mission 
work.  This  Board  has  been  continued,  and  has  served 
its  purpose.  The  general  oversight,  however,  of  the  City 
Mission  work  has  been  at  all  times,  with  the  exception 
of  the  years  1903-1905,  in  charge  of  the  Presiding  Elders. 

A  mission  was  opened  in  Battle  Creek  in  1912,  in 
charge  of  Susie  Dean,  assisted  by  Ella  Ditty,  Lenora 
Annabel,  and  Olive  Stoner. 

In  1913  a  mission  was  opened  in  Detroit,  in  charge  of 
Hattie  Rosenberger  and  Myrtle  Hall.    Two  new  workers 

14  209 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

were  added  to  the  list  in  1913.  They  were  Minnie  Fra- 
leigh  and  Hazel  Robinson. 

In  1915  a  mission  was  opened  at  Highland  Park  (De- 
troit), in  charge  of  Hattie  Rosenberger  and  Emma  Holtz. 
Since  that  time  no  new  missions  have  been  opened,  ex- 
cept one  at  Kalamazoo,  Michigan,  during  the  summer 
of  1920,  in  charge  of  Leonora  Annabel,  assisted  by  Alice 
Francis.  The  new  workers  who  were  added  between  the 
years  1915  and  1920  were:  Isabelle  Hollenbeck,  Mable 
DeGroat  (Mrs.  A.  G.  Herman),  Emma  Jausi  (Mrs.  R.  G. 
Morgan),  Gertrude  Spencer,  Loretta  Shupe,  and  Alice 
Francis.  Dorinda  Bowman  had  returned  from  Turkey 
on  account  of  war  conditions  by  this  time  and  assisted 
in  the  work. 

As  was  the  case  in  other  conferences,  City  Mission 
work  underwent  a  constant  change.  Some  missions  were 
discontinued,  while  a  number,  including  the  following: 
Battle  Creek,  Highland  Park,  and  Kalamazoo,  are 
still  in  operation.  Several  missions  developed  into 
churches.  In  1907  Port  Huron  was  recognized  as  a 
church.  Pontiac  and  Bad  Axe  were  organized  into 
churches  in  1911 ;  Flint  in  1914.  In  1918  Ralph  W.  Her- 
ber  was  made  pastor  at  Detroit.  This  church,  though 
organized,  was  not  fully  self-supporting,  and  continued 
to  be  listed  as  a  mission. 

Nebraska  Conference. 

The  following  is  a  brief  sketch  of  the  City  Mission 
work  of  the  Nebraska  Conference,  as  it  was  written  by 
N.  W.  Rich,  and  appeared  in  the  Historical  Conference 
Journal  of  1918-1919 : 

' '  The  City  Mission  work  was  started  about  the  second 
year  after  the  organization  of  the  conference.     It  was 

210 


CITY  MISSIONS. 

then  called  the  Home  Mission  work.  At  times  it  seemed 
that  the  work  would  go  under,  then  again  it  looked  en- 
couraging. The  mission  workers  were  faithful  to  their 
calling.  They  would  not  retreat,  but  would  faithfully 
preach  the  Gospel  to  a  lost  world.  At  the  present  time 
the  City  Mission  work  is  a  success.  There  are  now  five 
City  Missions  in  operation,  one  at  each  of  the  following 
places :  Omaha,  South  Omaha,  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa ;  To- 
peka,  Kansas,  and  Kansas  City,  Missouri.  This  is  the 
largest  number  in  operation  at  any  one  time.  Most  of 
these  missions  are  self-supporting  now.  The  first  mis- 
sions opened  by  the  conference  were  located  at  Clarinda, 
Iowa;  Newton,  Kansas;  Nebraska  City,  Nebraska,  and 
Pueblo,  Colorado,  but  these  are  no  more.  But  the  seed 
that  was  sown  there  is  now  ripe  to  harvest.  Our  first 
workers  were  as  follows:  Mina  (Myers)  Creasy,  Jennie 
(Wohlford)  Jett,  Hannah  (Wilson)  Persell,  Priscilla 
Overholt,  Phebe  Overholt,  Charity  Overholt,  Ida  (Vir- 
gin) Foreman,  Nannie  (Jameson)  Jett,  Louise  Barbazat, 
Estella  Wilmot,  Edith  (Herriman)  Green,  Esther 
(Stahly)  Hygema,  and  possibly  others.  May  Compton 
and  Maude  Cretors  were  foreign  missionaries  to  Africa, 
but  helped  some  in  City  Mission  work  at  times." 

The  list  of  workers  at  the  conference  of  September, 
1919,  contained  the  following:  Emma  Nickel  (Mrs. 
Pennell),  Stella  Lantz,  Ellen  Flesher,  Edna  V.  Jacob- 
son,  Phebe  Overholt,  Bessie  Robbins,  Charity  Overholt, 
Ethel  A.  Walker,  Amelia  Overholt,  Honor  Fouts,  Audra 
Laird,  Mary  Yocum,  Lexie  Hardin.  Besides  these,  a 
part  of  whom  also  appeared  among  the  Approved  Min- 
istering Sisters,  the  following  list  of  Approved  Min- 
istering Sisters  is  found:  Hannah  Persell,  Maude  Hod- 
son,  Francis  Palmer,  Addie  Utter,  Lula  Overholt.    The 

211 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

names  of  Maude  Cretors  and  Laura  Steckley  appear  as 
foreign  missionaries.  The  name  of  Mr.  S.  J.  Service,  who 
labored  for  a  number  of  years  in  the  Hope  Mission,  of 
Omaha,  Nebraska,  is  also  listed  as  a  City  Mission  worker. 
The  conference  of  1920  provided  for  a  City  Mission  to 
be  opened  in  Los  Angeles,  California,  in  charge  of  S.  J. 
Service. 

Pacific  Conference. 

From  the  time  of  the  organization  of  the  conference, 
City  Mission  work  was  pressed  vigorously.  Missions 
were  conducted  in  the  following  places :  Yakima,  Ellens- 
berg,  Bellingham,  Pasco,  Anacortes,  and  Everett,  "Wash- 
ington, and  later  Portland,  Oregon.  Several  classes  have 
been  organized  as  a  result  of  these  missions,  but  none 
continue  as  missions. 

The  annual  conference  Journal  of  1920  reports  the 
workers  as  follows,  some  of  whom  are  Approved  Minis- 
tering Sisters:  Bertha  Carmichael,  Arcie  Grout,  Laura 
Wilder,  Louise  Barbezat,  and  Sophia  Aman.  These  were 
assigned  as  assistant  pastors  and  helpers.  Myrtle  P.  Wil- 
liams and  Emma  L.  Kinnan  are  listed  as  foreign  mis- 
sionaries. 

Canadian  North  West  Conference. 

The  City  Mission  energies  of  the  youthful  conference 
of  the  Canadian  North  West  were  expended  almost  en- 
tirely upon  the  Beulah  Mission  of  Edmonton,  Alberta, 
during  the  period  of  its  operation.  It  was  opened  in 
1907,  and  continued  until  1919.  Miss  M.  E.  Chatham, 
an  Approved  Ministering  Sister  of  the  conference,  was 
in  charge  of  the  mission,  although  it  was  conducted  in- 
terdenominationally. 

In  February  of  1919,  Bethel  Mission  was  opened  in 
212 


CITY  MISSIONS. 

Calgary,  Alberta,  in  charge  of  Misses  L.  Eby  and  M. 
Neill,  assisted  by  Miss  L.  Wolfe.  This  mission  was  closed 
in  1920. 

The  list  of  workers  as  reported  at  the  annual  con- 
ference of  1920  is  as  follows :  M.  E.  Chatham,  M.  Neill, 
L.  Eby,  L.  Wolfe,  Mrs.  M.  Pinlay,  C.  Price,  P.  Reist, 
Mrs.  0.  Eidsath,  Janet  Hall,  Minnie  Martin,  V.  Herber, 
B.  Hallman,  G.  Williams,  M.  Spreeman,  and  E.  Shantz. 
Foreign  missionaries:  Mr.  and  Mrs.  D.  C.  Eby,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  William  Finlay. 

The  home  workers,  who  are  not  engaged  in  City  Mis- 
sion work,  are  largely  engaged  as  assistants  to  pastors 
and  in  rural  mission  work,  which  would  be  classed  as 
Home  Missions. 


213 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Education. 

The  Mennonite  Bethrexi  in  Christ  movement  being 
from  the  start  largely  evangelistic,  some  other  interests 
were  left  somewhat  in  the  rear.  Among  the  neglected 
problems  was  that  of  education. 

The  founders  of  the  church,  though  not  professionally 
schooled  men,  were  considerably  above  the  average  of 
their  day.  The  movement  being  largely  confined  to  the 
rural  districts  and  common  people,  the  necessity  for  edu- 
cation above  the  ordinary  was  not  so  keenly  felt. 

Some  sense,  however,  of  the  need  of  special  prepara- 
tion for  ministers  was  realized  early  in  the  history  of  the 
church,  for  at  the  Ontario  Conference,  in  its  session  held 
in  April  in  1882,  the  following  resolution  was  passed: 
"That  we  recommend  to  the  General  Conference  that 
there  be  a  course  of  reading  adopted  for  the  ministry. '  '* 
Pursuant  to  this  recommendation,  the  General  Confer- 
ence held  in  October  of  the  same  year,  appointed  a  com- 
mittee to  select  such  a  course  of  reading  for  probation- 
ers. The  committee  was  composed  of  William  Gehman, 
David  U.  Lambert,  and  Menno  Bowman,2  and  reported 
as  follows : 

"English  Course — Holy  Bible,  Mosheim's  Church 
History,  Lee's  Theology,  Philosophy  of  the  Plan  of  Sal- 
vation, Nelson  on  Infidelity,  Finney's  Lectures  on  Re- 
ligion, Lessons  in  Holiness,  Depravity  of  the  Soul,  Menno 
Simon's  Works,  Fletcher's  Appeal,  and  Baxter's  Works. 


1  Gospel  Banner,  May  1,  1882,  p.  70. 

2  General  Conference  Minutes,  p.  40. 

214 


EDUCATION. 

"German  Course — Holy  Bible,  Mosheim's  Church 
History,  Buck's  Theological  Dictionary,  Heilsfuelle, 
Menno  Simon's  Works,  Bunyan's  Pilgrim's  Progress, 
and  Baxter's  Works."3 

These  books,  properly  studied  and  mastered,  would 
have  given  the  student  a  fairly  good  theological  train- 
ing. The  list  has  been  revised  from  time  to  time,  but  a 
number  of  the  original  titles  are  still  found  in  the  Pro- 
bationer's Reading  Course.  Perhaps  more  than  is  gen- 
erally realized,  the  success  of  the  ministry  has  been  the 
result  of  this  modest  theological  course  of  home  study 
prescribed  for  probationers.  The  more  valuable  has  the 
course  become  as  a  result  of  the  fact  that  probationers 
have  been  obliged  to  pass  examinations  on  the  books 
prescribed. 

But  as  the  result  of  the  progress  made  in  education 
generally  and  the  pressing  need  of  better  trained  work- 
ers, a  growing  conviction  seized  some  of  the  leaders  of 
various  conferences  that  a  more  thorough  and  systematic 
program  of  education  should  be  carried  on  by  the  church. 
This  conviction  was  expressed  in  various  ways,  and  the 
recounting  of  the  expression  of  this  conviction  consti- 
tutes the  balance  of  the  history  of  the  church,  on  the 
subject  of  education,  to  date. 

At  the  General  Conference  of  1900  the  question  of  a 
Bible  Training  School  was  discussed,  and  referred  to  the 
Committee  on  Foreign  Missions.  The  committee  reported 
as  follows: 

"Resolved,  That  the  subject  of  a  Training  School  be 
left  to  the  discretion  of  each  annual  conference,  re- 
spectively. '  '4 


3  General  Conference  Minutes,  pp.  40  and  41. 

4  General  Conference  Minutes,  pp.  246,  247. 

215 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

The  Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference,  through  its  City 
Mission  Committee,  opened  a  Bible  Training  School  in 
Elkhart,  Indiana,  in  the  fall  of  1900.  The  teaching  dur- 
ing the  first  three  years  was  done  principally  by  Elder 
J.  J.  Hostettler,  assisted  in  the  second  year  by  Miss 
Vianna  Longenecker.  Vocal  and  instrumental  music 
were  taught  by  Moody  Brenneman  and  Naomi  Brenne- 
man  (Mrs.  John  Kane)  respectively.  The  third  year 
the  school  was  moved  to  Goshen,  and  the  work  continued 
there  by  the  same  teachers. 

Until  the  fourth  year,  the  school  had  been  held  in 
rented  residences ;  but  during  the  year  of  1903  The  Elk- 
hart Institute  building  on  Prairie  Street,  Elkhart,  was 
purchased  and  the  school  was  conducted  there  during  its 
fourth  year  of  existence.  The  quarters  were  commodious, 
being  a  two-story  brick  building,  erected  for  school  pur- 
poses. The  institution  was  then  christened  The  M.  B. 
C.  Seminary  and  Bible  Training  School.  A  regular  or- 
ganization was  effected,  with  D.  Brenneman,  President; 
C.  K.  Curtis,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer;  and  J.  J. 
Hostettler,  Secretary. 

The  school  conducted  during  1903-1904  an  Interme- 
diate Department,  giving  work  in  the  grades;  an  Aca- 
demic Department,  offering  high  school  work;  and  a 
Bible  Department.  By  this  time  the  faculty  had  been  en- 
larged and  included  the  following  persons:  J.  J.  Hos- 
tettler, Jacob  Hygema,  A.  B.  Yoder,  Mary  B.  Sherk, 
Moody  Brenneman,  and  Sadie  Miller. 

Despite  the  excellent  beginning  made  by  the  school, 
the  session  of  1903-1904  was  the  last.  Some  of  the  con- 
stituency within  the  conference  withheld  support,  and 
some  prominent  persons  in  other  conferences  gave  the 
school  active  opposition,  and  the  institution  was  closed. 

216 


EDUCATION. 

Thus  the  first  serious  attempt  toward  founding  an  M. 
B.  C.  School  came  to  an  end. 

The  question  of  a  Bible  Training  School  was  brought 
up  again  at  the  General  Conference  of  1904,  and  after 
discussion  the  following  resolution  was  passed:  "With 
reference  to  the  school  question, 

Resolved,  That  this  conference  abide  by  the  decision  of 
last  General  Conference."5 

The  decision  of  the  previous  General  Conference  was 
that  the  matter  should  be  decided  by  each  annual  con- 
ference. Thus  General  Conference  action  on  the  edu- 
cational problem  was  defeated. 

General  Conference  action  had  not  been  secured  in 
relation  to  a  school,  doubtless  because  of  the  fact  that 
the  church,  as  a  whole,  had  not  realized  the  importance 
of  the  same.  So  each  conference  set  itself  to  the  task, 
in  its  own  way,  just  as  soon  as  the  need  was  sensed. 

The  Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference  had  failed  in  the 
first  attempt,  and  it  required  some  years  to  overcome  the 
discouragement. 

In  the  winter  of  1903-1904  a  Bible  School  was  con- 
ducted for  several  months  by  M.  J.  Carmichael  at  Bel- 
lingham,  Washington,  and  the  following  two  years  in 
succession  by  Jacob  Hygema.  The  student  body  the 
second  year  at  Bellingham  numbered  seventeen.  In 
1906-1907  a  short  term  was  conducted  by  Elder  Hygema 
at  Mountain  View,  Washington.  He  also  conducted  a 
Bible  School  at  Yakima,  Washington,  during  the  win- 
ter of  1912-1913,  followed  the  next  year  by  a  course 
taught  by  Mrs.  Mina  Creasey.  Short  courses  were  given 
at  Filer,  Idaho,  during  the  winter  of  1916-1917,  and  at 


General   Conference   Minutes,   p.   299. 

217 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Yakima,  Washington,  the  following  winter  by  A.  W. 
Barbezat. 

"Within  the  bounds  of  the  Nebraska  Conference  a  Bible 
School  was  conducted  in  Lincoln,  Nebraska,  during  the 
winter  of  1899.  Jacob  Hygema  gave  instruction  in  Bible, 
Homer  J.  Pontius  conducted  a  class  in  vocal  music,  and 
Clifton  Hurst  taught  the  common  branches.  A  short 
Bible  course  was  also  conducted  by  Jacob  Hygema  in 
Hope  Mission,  Omaha,  Nebraska,  during  the  months  of 
January  and  February,  1916. 

"While  the  Pennsylvania  Conference  has  conducted  no 
schools,  as  such,  training  of  a  practical  kind  has  been 
given  the  younger  workers,  both  men  and  women,  by  or- 
ganizing them  into  societies  and  placing  them  under  the 
direction  of  experienced  leaders. 

In  the  year  1915,  the  Ontario  Conference  arranged 
a  Correspondence  Course  in  Bible,  English,  etc.,  to  be 
conducted  by  H.  S.  Hallman,  especially  for  the  workers. 
Quite  a  number  registered  for  the  course,  but  its  pos- 
sibilities were  too  limited  or  the  plan  not  satisfactory, 
and  it  was  not  long  continued. 

In  the  Alberta  Conference  the  need  was  partially  met 
in  the  following  way :  A  mission  had  been  opened  in 
Edmonton,  Alberta,  in  1907,  by  Miss  M.  E.  Chatham. 
It  was  conducted  on  an  interdenominational  plan,  but 
was  supported,  in  part,  by  the  Alberta  Conference.  In 
1913  evening  Bible  classes  were  held,  with  seventeen  stu- 
dents enrolled.  They  were  continud  in  1914,  with  an 
increase  in  students  to  twenty-nine.  In  1915  The  Beulah 
Mission  Bible  Training  School  was  organized,  and  that 
year  there  were  nineteen  resident  and  thirty-seven  cor- 
respondence students  enrolled.  The  school  also  was  in- 
terdenominational, but  was  supported,  in  part,  by  the 

218 


EDUCATION. 

Alberta  Conference,  and  quite  a  few  of  the  younger 
workers  availed  themselves  of  the  training  provided  in 
the  somewhat  limited  courses.  On  account  of  some  mis- 
understandings and  dissatisfactions,  this  institution 
ceased  to  operate  after  the  close  of  the  school  year  1918- 
1919. 

While  the  various  conferences  were  carrying  on  their 
programs  of  evangelism  and  attempting,  in  a  limited 
way,  to  train  their  workers,  there  were  young  men  and 
women  who  felt  the  necessity  of  more  thorough  train- 
ing, both  for  Christian  service  directly  and  for  the 
legitimate  occupations  and  professions.  Since  the  church 
had  no  institutions  capable  of  giving  such  training,  they 
were  compelled  to  resort  to  the  institutions  of  higher 
education,  provided  either  by  the  state  or  by  other 
churches.  The  institutions  of  other  churches  were  em- 
ployed, principally.  As  a  result  of  going  to  the  institu- 
tions of  other  denominations  for  their  training,  being 
isolated  from  their  own  church,  doors  of  usefulness  open- 
ing to  them  on  every  hand  when  their  training  was 
completed,  some  choice  young  people  were  lost  to  the 
church. 

It  was  during  the  summer  of  1913  that  the  Middle 
District  Conference  of  the  General  Conference  Mennon- 
ites  proposed  co-operation  in  education  to  such  branches 
of  the  Mennonite  Church  as  desired  to  engage  with  them. 
They  proposed  to  turn  over  their  institution  at  Bluffton, 
Ohio,  called  Central  Mennonite  College,  then  a  Junior 
College,  to  a  new  board  to  be  composed  of  three  repre- 
sentatives from  each  branch  of  the  church  desiring  to 
co-operate,  and  to  devote  the  institution  to  both  College 
and  Seminary  work,  to  be  called  Bluffton  College  and 
Mennonite    Seminary.      Three   branches   united   in   the 

219 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

movement  officially,  and  two  more  were  connected  un- 
officially. The  Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference  gave  en- 
dorsement to  the  movement,  electing  three  men  to  the 
Board  of  Trustees,  and  ratified  the  election  of  J.  A. 
Huffman  to  the  faculty,  which  electiion  had  been  made 
by  the  Board  of  Trustees.  This  position  he  has  held 
since  1914.  A  few  years  later  the  Michigan  Conference 
elected  a  member  to  the  Board  of  Trustees,  thus  offi- 
cially connecting  that  conference  with  the  movement. 
In  1918  S.  Floyd  Pannabecker  and  Naomi  Brenneman 
were  added  to  the  faculty  of  the  College,  giving  the 
Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ  three  representatives  on 
the  faculty. 

Although  only  two  of  the  seven  conferences  were 
officially  connected  with  the  Institution,  all  of  the  con- 
ferences, save  one,  were  represented  in  the  student  body 
at  various  times. 

An  increasing  interest  in  education  among  the  various 
conferences  resulted  in  petitions  being  sent  to  the  Gen- 
eral Conference  of  1920,  from  three  conferences — the 
Indiana  and  Ohio,  the  Nebraska,  and  the  Canadian 
North  West — asking  that  General  Conference  offer  a  so- 
lution of  the  educational  problem  of  the  church.  These 
requests  were  answered  by  the  following  resolution: 

Resolved,  that  we  wish  to  recommend  our  young  peo- 
ple who  desire  to  take  a  special  course  in  some  Bible 
Training  School,  to  the  decision  of  their  Annual  Confer- 
ence; and  be  it  still  further 

Resolved,  that  we  recommend  each  Annual  Confer- 
ence to  appoint  a  Committee  on  Education,  which  shall 
take  this  matter  in  hand  in  its  respective  Conference, 
and  that  the  above  Committees  be  encouraged  to  act  co- 
operatively. ' ' 

220 


EDUCATION. 

While  the  action  of  General  Conference  noted  regis- 
ters no  great  progress  toward  a  constructive  program 
of  education  within  the  church,  it  does  recognize  that 
there  is  an  educational  problem;  advises  Educational 
Committees  in  the  Annual  Conferences  to  take  the  mat- 
ter of  education  in  hand,  and  encourages  a  co-operation 
of  these  various  Educational  Committees.  What  the 
outcome  will  be — whether  some  institution  or  institu- 
tions will  be  established  or  some  existing  institutions 
adopted — is  a  matter  of  the  future.  General  Confer- 
ence resolution  opens  the  way  for  such  action  by  any 
Annual  Conference  desiring  to  do  so,  and  suggests  the 
cooperation  of  various  Conferences  in  the  matter  of  edu- 
cation, through  their  Educational  Committees.  No 
church  can  hope  to  maintain  itself  aggressively  which 
does  not  provide  for  the  training  of  its  leaders.  Until 
the  Church  formulates  some  more  definite  program  of 
education,  the  constituency  will  be  obliged  to  continue 
to  utilize  such  institutions  and  means  of  education  as  are 
considered  most  advisable. 


221 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Biographical  Sketches. 

The   following   are   Biographical   reference   sketches   of   ordained   minis- 
ters, past  and  present. 

Those  before  whose  names  an  *  appears,  are  no  longer  members. 

Anderson,  William  Murry— Born  in  Bellshill,  Scotland,  June  1, 
1880.  Parents  were  William  and  Margaret  Anderson.  Re- 
ceived a  common  school  education. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  years  and  entered 
the  ministry  in  1909,  being  ordained  by  the  Nebraska  Confer- 
ence in  1916. 

Married  to  Ethyl  Hall  on  October  17,  1906.  Eight  chil- 
dren:   Ruth,  Paul,  Mark,  Mary,  Esther,  Earl,  Lois,  Guy. 

Held  pastorates  at  Clarinda,  Iowa;  Quitman,  Mo.;  and 
Holdbrook,  Colo. 

Anthony,  Ebenezer — Born  in  the  township  of  Derby,  Grey 
County,  Ontario,  November  27,  1865.  Parents  were  Francis 
and  Isabelle  (Fackman)  Anthony.  Raised  on  the  farm  and 
attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty  years  and  entered  the 
ministry  in  1888,  being  ordained  by  the  Ontario  Conference 
in  1891. 

Married  to  Harriet  Alma  French  on  October  9,  1889. 
Four  children:    Berval,  Isabel,  Mary  Alma,  Ray  Banfield. 

Held  pastorates  in  the  Ontario  Conference,  also  at  Brown 
City,  Caledonia,  and  Greenwood,  in  the  Michigan  Conference. 

First  Presiding  Elder  of  the  Michigan  Conference,  and 
served  in  that  capacity  for  various  terms  totaling  ten  years. 

Was  a  missionary  to  Africa  two  years  (1901-1903),  where 
he  contracted  the  disease  which  caused  his  death. 

Died  at  Brown  City,  Mich.,  April  6,  1913. 

Avery,  James  Arthur— Born  near  Roseburg,  Mich.,  July  25, 
1870.  Parents  were  Arthur  M.  and  Elizabeth  (Saunders) 
Avery.  Was  raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common 
school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-nine  years  and  entered 
the  ministry  in  1903,  being  ordained  by  the  Michigan  Con- 
ference in  1906. 

222 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

Married  to  Lavonia  Bradshaw  on  December  24,  189.5. 
One  child:    Henrietta. 

Held  pastorates  at  Bliss,  Petoskey,  Cass  River,  Pontiac, 
and  Greenwood,  in  the  Michigan  Conference. 

Served  various  terms  on  the  Examination,  Foreign  Mis- 
sion, and  City  Mission  Boards  of  the  Michigan  Conference. 

Baer,  John — Born  near  Preston,  Ont.,  May  15,  1804. 

Converted  when  a  young  man,  and  united  with  Old  Men- 
nonite  Church.  Entered  the  ministry  in  1838  and  was  ordained. 
He  joined  the  New  Mennonite  movement  and  assisted  in  form- 
ing the  unions  leading  up  to  the  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ. 

Married  to  Annie  Pannabaker,  February  11,  1827.  Thir- 
teen children:  Magdalene,  David,  Moses,  John,  Aaron,  Re- 
becca, Samuel,  Leah,  Martin,  Connilus,  Abraham,  Benjamin, 
Joseph.     Died  December  24,  1894. 

Banfield,  Alexander  Woods — Born  in  Quebec,  Canada,  August 
3,  1878.  Parents  were  William  Henry  and  Elizabeth  Jane 
(Johnston)  Banfield.  Educated  in  the  public  school,  then 
studied  and  prepared  himself  as  a  civil  engineer,  which  trade 
he  followed  for  eight  years. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years.  Went  to  Africa 
first  as  a  missionary  in  1901,  and  was  ordained  by  the  Ontario 
Conference  in  1905. 

Married  to  Althea  Amanda  Priest,  March  1,  1905.  Three 
children:  Althea  Mable,  Alexanora  Ruth,  Alexander  William 
Francis. 

Went  to  Africa  with  the  pioneer  party  of  the  Africa  In- 
dustrial Mission  in  1901  and  served  as  a  missionary  in  Nigeria, 
West  Africa,  until  1915,  when  he  accepted  a  position  as  Secre- 
tary for  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  for  West  Africa. 

Barbezat,  Alfred  William— Born  in  Illinois,  February  7,  1881. 
Parents  were  Albert  and  Helen  Barbezat.  Raised  on  the 
farm,  received  a  common  school  education  and  later  took  a 
theological  course. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  and  entered  the 
ministry  in  1905,  being  ordained  by  the  Pacific  Conference  in 
1909. 

Married  in  1908  to  Arminta  Mable  Prouty.  Two  chil- 
dren:   Mercedes  and  Rhoda. 

Held  pastorates  at  Wenas,  Strandale,  and  Mt.  View, 
Wash.,  and  at  Filer,  Idaho,  in  the  Pacific  Conference. 

Presiding  Elder  of  the  Pacific  Conference  for  four  years, 
and  later  Conference  Evangelist. 
223 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Barrall,  Jacob  Franklin— Born  in  Northampton  County,  Pa., 
December  3,  1867.  Parents  were  Daniel  and  Lovina  Barrall. 
Attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-nine;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1901,  and  was  ordained  in  1904,  by  the  Pennsylvania  Con- 
ference. 

Married  to  Annie  J.  Wolf  on  November  20,  1890.  Two 
children:  Ray  L.  and  Frances  R. 

Held  pastorates  at  Weissport  and  Lehighton,  Allentown, 
Coopersburg  and  Springtown,  Fleetwood,  Blandon  and  Terre 
Hill,  Spring  City  and  Royersford,  Shamokin,  Pa. 

Bartlett,  Sylvester — Born  at  Sangate,  Vermont,  July  13,  1867. 
Parents  both  Highland  Scotch,  the  father  dying  four  months 
before  he  was  born. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  thirty-one  years  and  entered  the 
ministry  in  1897,  being  ordained  by  the  Indiana  and  Ohio 
Conference  in  1904. 

Married  to  Carrie  Irilla  Flemings,  November  9,  1889. 
Six  children:  Maud  Ethel,  Richard  Eugean,  Sylvester  jr.,  Levi, 
Henry,  Mable  Edna. 

Held  pastorates  in  the  United  Brethren  Church  (Old  Con- 
stitution) at  Elkhart,  Lakeville,  and  Bruce  Lake,  Indiana,  also 
in  the  M.  B.  C.  Church  at  Beech  Grove,  Ohio  and  Goshen, 
Indiana. 

Was  Conference  Evangelist  for  several  years. 

Bechtel,  Manuel  D. — Born  in  Blair,  Waterloo  County,  Ont., 
August  10,  1855.  Parents  were  Moses  and  Elizabeth  Bechtel. 
Raised  on  the  farm  and  received  a  common  school  education. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  15  years  and  entered  the  min- 
istry in  1893,  being  ordained  by  the  Michigan  Conference  in 
1903. 

Married  to  Mary  Ann  Hembling,  March  12,  1896.  Three 
children:    Moses  Gordon,  John  Earl,  Mary  Elizabeth. 

Held  pastorates  at  Geneva,  Cass  River,  Elkton,  Green- 
wood, Elmer,  Ubly,  Wetzel,  Clearwater,  and  Riverside,  in  the 
Michigan  Conference. 

Beery,  Jesse  Ai— Born  at  Shambaugh,  Iowa,  July  22,  1885. 
Parents  were  Amos  and  Laura  (Woods)  Beery.  Raised  on  the 
farm  and  attended  the  common  school,  also  attended  one  year 
at  the  Central  Holiness  University.  Converted  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one  years,  and  entered  the  ministry  in  1908,  being 
ordained  by  the  Nebraska  Conference  in  1911. 
224 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

Married  to  Velma  L.  Fulk,  December  6,  1906,  and  after 
her  death  to  Bertha  Palmer,  September  10,  1915.  Five  chil- 
dren: Alvin,  Maurice,  Marvin,  Ethel,  and  Wayne,  of  whom 
the  last  two  are  deceased. 

Held  pastorates  at  Holbrook  Center,  Colo.;  Trenton, 
Iowa;  and  Bloomington,  Nebr.,  in  the  Nebraska  Conference. 

Bergstresser,  Robert — Born  in  Northampton  County,  Pa.,  Aug. 
19,  1860.    Parents  were  David  and  Lovina  Bergstresser. 

Was  raised  on  the  farm,  and  attended  the  common  school. 

Was  converted  in  1891;  began  to  preach  in  1901  and  was 
ordained  by  the  Pennsylvania  Conference  in  1904. 

In  1882  was  married  to  Sarah  A.  Hixon.  There  were  five 
children :  William  D.,  Robert  C,  Oliver  F.,  Paul  H.,  and  Viola  H. 

Held  pastorates  at  Walnutport  and  Tripoli,  South  Allen- 
town  and  Emaus,  Graterford  and  Harleysville,  Zionsville, 
Nazareth  and  Plainfield,  and  Mt.  Carmel,  Pa. 

Bolwell,  John — Born  in  London,  Middlesex,  England,  July  13, 
1852.  Parents  were  James  and  Loveday  (Popjoy)  Bolwell. 
Due  to  the  death  of  his  father,  his  education  was  limited  to 
the  common  school,  and  he  became  an  apprentice  at  twelve 
years  of  age. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  seventeen  and  entered  the  min- 
istry in  1902,  being  ordained  bv  the  Ontario  Conference  in 
1907. 

Married  to  Jemima  Jane  Day,  July,  1878.  Six  children 
living:    Annie,  Ellen,  Edith,  Rose,  Alfred,  John. 

Held  pastorates  at  Stouffville,  Sunnidale,  Maryboro,  Hes- 
peler,  Collingwood,  Scott,  and  Stayner,  in  the  Ontario  Con- 
ference. 

Before  joining  the  M.  B.  C.  Church  he  labored  four  years 
with  the  Primitive  Methodists  and  twenty-four  years  with  the 
.  Canada  Methodist  Church. 

Bowman,  Benjamin  U. — Born  in  Wilmot  township,  Waterloo 
County,  Ontario,  April  2,  1857.  Parents  were  Joseph  B.  and 
Leah  (Unger)  Bowman.  Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the 
common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years,  and  entered 
the  ministry  in  1904,  being  ordained  by  the  Michigan  Confer- 
ence in  1914. 

Married  to  Veronica  Hallman,  November  4,  1878,  and 
after  her  death  to  Rachel  Hallman,  December  26,  1882.  Seven 
children:    Eva,  Elmer,  Irvin,  Aden,  Ira,  Roy,  and  Verna. 

15  225 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Held  pastorates  at  Cass  River,  Caledonia,  and  Petoskey, 
in  the  Michigan  Conference,  and  served  as  Presiding  Elder  in 
the  Michigan  Conference  from  1917-1920. 

Bowman,  Menno — Born  in  Kitchener,  Ont.,  May  20,  1837. 
Parents  were  Samuel  and  Anna  Bowman.  Raised  on  the  farm 
and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight  years.  Entered  the 
ministry  in  1875. 

Married  to  Susan  Snyder  on  April  11,  1858.  Eleven  chil- 
dren: Alice,  Oliver,  Cyrus,  Nancy,  Susie,  Allan,  Lena,  Emer- 
son, Lloyd,  Annie,  Frank. 

Held  pastorates  at  Bethel,  Vineland,  Markham,  and 
Maryboro. 

Served  as  Presiding  Elder  for  fourteen  years. 

Died  March  18,  1906. 

Bradley,  John  Albert — Born  near  Yale,  Michigan,  April  11,  1894. 
Parents  were  Reuben  and  Mary  Bradley.  Raised  on  the  farm 
and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years  and  entered  the 
ministry  in  1915,  being  ordained  by  the  Michigan  Conference 
in  1920. 

Was  married  to  Mamie  Orcutt,  July  8,  1920. 

Held  pastorates  at  Caledonia,  Williamsburg,  and  Flint , 
Michigan. 

Brenneman,  Daniel — Born  near  Bremen,  Fairfield  County,  Ohio, 
June  8,  1834,  his  father  being  Henry  Brenneman.  He  was 
raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  in  1856  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years  and 
was  ordained  as  minister  in  the  Old  Mennonite  Church  in 
1857. 

Married  to  Susannah  Keagy  in  March,  1857,  and  after 
her  death  to  Delia  Troyer  in  April,  1910.  Ten  children:  Tim- 
othy, Samuel,  Joseph,  Daniel,  Moody,  Mary,  Rhoda,  Martha, 
Phoebe,  and  Naomi. 

Was  a  prominent  minister  among  the  Old  Mennonites. 
Leader  of  the  Reformed  Mennonites  in  the  U.  S.  when  they 
separated  from  the  Old  church  in  1874.  He  took  an  active 
part  in  the  various  church  unions  leading  up  to  the  formation 
of  the  M.  B.  C.  Church,  and  held  various  pastorates  in  the 
Ohio  and  Indiana  Conference.  He  was  Presiding  Elder  for 
many  years  and  a  member  of  every  General  Conference  during 
the  period  of  his  active  ministry. 

226 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

Founder  of  the  Gospel  Banner  and  its  Editor  for  the  first 
four  years;  also  the  author  of  a  little  volume  of  poems  en- 
titled "Thoughts  in  Rhyme." 

Died  at  Goshen,  Ind.,  September  10,  1919. 

For  further  details  see  biographical  sketch,  Chapter  V. 

Bricker,  Milton — Born  near  Roseville,  Waterloo  County,  Ont., 
August  16,  1877.  Parents  were  Noah  and  Catheran  (Kie- 
fabhor)  Bricker.  Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  com- 
mon school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years  and  entered  the 
ministry  in  1900,  being  ordained  by  the  Ontario  Conference  in 
1904. 

Married  to  Agnes  Schell,  March  5,  1907.  Three  children: 
Ella,  Olive,  and  Edna. 

Held  pastorates  at  Hespeler,  Port  Elgin,  Shrigley,  StoufT- 
ville,  Markham,  and  Sunnidale,  in  the  Ontario  Conference. 

Brown,  William — Born  in  the  township  of  Amaranth,  Ont., 
December  23,  1872.  Parents  were  Robert  and  Mary  (Barnes) 
Brown.    Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-two,  entered  the  ministry 
in  1900  and  was  ordained  by  the  Ontario  Conference  in  1904. 

Married  to  Ida  Troxell,  June  30,  1903.  Four  children: 
William  Cecil,  Irvin  Emerson,  Ivan  Wesley,  and  John  Elmore. 

Held  pastorates  at  Scott,  Stouffville,  Sunnidale,  Toronto, 
Kitchener,  and  Vineland  in  the  Ontario  Conference. 

Brubacher,  Isaac  B. — Born  near  Kitchener  in  Waterloo  County, 
Ontario,  November  8,  1883.  Parents  were  Isaac  M.  and  Mary 
Ann  Brubacher.  Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common 
school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  ten  years;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1908,  and  was  ordained  in  1912  by  the  Ontario  Conference. 

Married  to  Cora  May  Sider  on  December  26,  1911.  Two 
children:  Mervin  John  and  Elgin  Grant. 

Held  pastorates  at  Collingwood,  Port  Elgin,  and  Elmwood, 
Ontario. 

Brunner,  C.  H. — Born  January  2,  1864;  raised  on  the  farm  and 
received  a  common  school  education. 

Married  to  Sarah  C.  Musselman  on  September  27,  1888. 
Two  children:  Paul  M.  (deceased),  and  Dorothy  C. 
Entered  the  ministry  in  1893  and  was  ordained  in  1896. 
Held  pastorates  at  Erwinna,  Morristown,  Royersford  and 

227 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Gratersford,    Reading,    Blandon  and  Athol,  Bethlehem  and 
Allentown,  in  the  Pennsylvania  Conference. 

Served  as  Presiding  Elder  of  the  Pennsylvania  Conference 
from  1898  to  1902  and  from  1906  to  1908,  President  of  the 
Home  Missionary  Society  of  his  Conference  from  1900  to 
1906.  Missionary  Presiding  Elder  from  1901  to  1905.  Sec- 
retary of  the  Conference  for  twenty  years.  Edited  the  Gospel 
Banner  from  1908  to  1912. 

Campbell,  Andrew — Born  at  Milford,  Seward  County,  Nebraska, 
June  5,  1875.  Parents  were  George  and  Rachel  Campbell. 
Was  raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  seventeen  and  was  ordained  to 
the  ministry  in  the  Nebraska  Conference  in  1905. 

Married  to  Mable  Elsie  Miner  on  June  2,  1904.  Three 
children:    Alice,  Helen,  Clarice. 

Held  pastorates  at  Kremlin  and  Jett,  Okla.;  Cambridge 
and  Moline,  Nebr.;  and  Reamsville,  Kans.,  in  the  Nebraska 
Conference. 

Carmichael,  M.  J. — Born  in  Page  County,  Iowa,  November  20, 
1869. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-three  years  and  entered 
the  ministry  soon  after.  He  was  ordained  by  the  Nebraska 
Conference  in  1900. 

Married  to  Eva  Taylor,  February  7,  1900.  Children: 
Ruth,  Rhoda,  and  Philip.  After  the  decease  of  first  wife, 
which  occurred  in  1906,  he  was  married  to  Bertha  M.  Bartlett, 
May  22,  1907.    Children:    Paul  and  Mark. 

Held  pastorates  at  Newton,  Kan.;  Stuttgart,  Ark.,  and 
La  Junta,  Colo.,  in  the  Nebraska  Conference;  and  at  Yakima 
and  Mt.  View,  Wash.;  Orange,  Calif.;  Filer,  Idaho,  and  Mc- 
Minnville,  Ore.,  in  the  Pacific  Conference. 

Served  as  Presiding  Elder  of  the  Pacific  Conference, 
1906-1907,  1911-1914,  1915-1917,  1919-. 

Cassel,  Emanuel  N. — Born  in  Montgomery  County,  Pa.,  Novem- 
ber 10,  1875.  Parents  were  Jonas  M.  and  Kate  (Nice)  Cassel. 
Attended  the  common  school  and  spent  a  short  time  in  Normal 
School. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  nineteen;  entered  the  ministry  in 
1899,  and  was  ordained  in  1904  by  the  Pennsylvania  Conference. 

Married  on  May  15,  1897,  to  Ida  Price.  Five  children: 
Lulu,  Byron,  Alton,  Herbert,  and  Willard. 

Held  pastorates  at  Athol,  Blandon  and  Fleetwood,  Zions- 

228 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

ville  and  Hereford,  Spring  City  and  Royersford,  Allentown, 
Coopersburg  and  Springtown,  South  Allentown,  Graterford 
and  Har  leys  ville. 

Cline,  Walter  O. — Born  near  Middleville,  Barry  County,  Mich- 
igan, May  16,  1885.  Parents  were  Mason  and  Nancy  Cline. 
Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty  years  and  entered  the 
ministry  in  1908,  being  ordained  by  the  Michigan  Conference 
in  1914. 

Married  to  Olive  Amybell  Kelley  on  December  12,  1906. 
Two  children:    Oliver  Gail  and  Esther  Mae. 

Held  pastorates  at  Geneva,  Pontiac,  Flint,  and  Fremont, 
in  the  Michigan  Conference. 

Cober,  Peter — Born  in  Pushlinch  Township,  Wellington  County, 
Ontario,  May  7,  1853.  Parents  were  Nicholas  and  Nancy 
(Holm)  Cober.  Raised  on  the  farm  and  educated  in  the  com- 
mon school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  entered  the  ministry 
in  1881,  and  ordained  in  1884. 

Married  to  Martha  Steinacher,  September  28,  1875. 
Eight  children:  Rosa,  Addie,  Ira,  Samantha,  Vernon,  Wilfrid, 
Milton,  and  Gordon,  the  third  and  last  being  deceased. 

Held  pastorates  at  Ubly  and  Deanville,  Mich.;  Bethel 
and  Goshen,  Ind.;  Markham,  Berlin,  Kilsyth,  Bethel,  Shrigley, 
Breslau,  Maryboro,  and  Hespeler,  Ont. 

Presiding  Elder  of  the  Ontario  Conference  for  two  terms, 
totaling  ten  years;  member  of  six  General  Conferences  and 
chairman  of  one  of  them;  member  of  the  Executive  Committee 
for  a  number  of  years;  member  of  the  Ontario  Foreign  Mis- 
sion Board  and  of  the  United  Orphan  and  Mission  Board. 

Creasey,  Arthur — Born  in  Derbyshire,  England,  February  14, 
1878.  Parents  were  Henry  and  Mary  Creasey.  At  the  age  of 
one  and  a  half  years  his  parents  moved  to  the  United  States, 
settling  in  Illinois  and  later  in  Colorado  and  Washington.  Re- 
ceived a  common  school  education. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-four;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1908,  and  was  ordained  in  1920  by  the  Pacific  Conference. 

Married  to  Mina  Meyers  on  July  29,  1907,  and  after  her 
death  in  1917  to  Elida  Enochs  on  July  26,  1920. 

Held  pastorates  at  Madras,  and  Culver,  Oregon,  Harper, 
Kans;  Round  Butte,  and  Rockland,  Idaho;  and  Wapato,  Wash. 
229 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Cressman,  Silas — Born  in  Waterloo  County,  Ontario,  November 
7,  1866.  Parents  were  Enos  and  Elizabeth  (Shantz)  Cressman. 
Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty  years  and  entered  the 
ministry  in  1889,  being  ordained  by  the  Ontario  Conference  in 
1895. 

Married  Sarah  Wagner  on  March  19,  1890.  Seven  children: 
Clayton  Wellington,  Wilmot  Stanley,  Gertrude  Elizabeth, 
Vernon  Wagner,  Lloyd  Silas,  Joy  Beatrice,  Franklin  Homer. 

Held  pastorates  at  Kilsyth,  Manitoulin  Island,  Port  Elgin, 
Markham,  Breslau,  Stayner,  and  Kitchener,  in  the  Ontario 
Conference. 

Presiding  Elder  of  the  Ontario  Conference  various  terms, 
and  Treasurer  of  the  Home  and  Foreign  Mission  Boards;  City 
Mission  President  1919 — 

Culp,  Wilson  W. — Born  near  Teegarden,  Marshall  County,  Ind., 
November  23,  1887.  Parents  were  Amos  J.  and  Magdalena 
Culp.  Lived  in  Wakarusa,  Ind.,  till  eleven  years  of  age  and 
then  on  a  farm  in  Missouri  till  eighteen;  attended  the  common 
school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years  and  entered 
the  ministry  in  1911,  being  ordained  by  the  Indiana  and  Ohio 
Conference  in  1915. 

Married  to  Mary  E.  Hughes  on  April  6,  1907.  Seven 
children:  Florence,  Gladys,  Clarence,  Harley,  Beulah,  Bertha 
May,  and  Richard  (deceased). 

Held  pastorates  at  West  Union,  Nappanee,  Oak  Grove, 
Indiana  Chapel,  Greenville  and  Beech,  in  the  Ohio  and  Indiana 
Conference.     Also  evangelist  for  one  year. 

Curtis,  Claudius  K. — Born  in  Waterloo  County,  Ontario,  July  27, 
1850.      Parents  were  Burtin  H.  and  Elizabeth  Curtis. 

Was  educated  in  the  public  school  of  Elkhart  county, 
Indiana. 

Was  converted  in  1880;  began  to  preach  in  1884,  and  was 
ordained  by  the  Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference  in  1886. 

In  1869  was  married  to  Leah  Blosser.  There  were  four 
children  of  this  marriage:  Lucinda,  Ella,  Joseph  (deceased), 
and  Barbara.  After  the  death  of  the  first  wife  he  married  Re- 
becca Blosser,  in  1879.  There  were  five  children  of  this  marriage: 
Viola,  Eva,  Otho,  Homer,  and  Metta  Aura. 

Held  pastorates  at  South  West,  Wakarusa,  Nappanee,  Oak 
Grove,  Bethel,  West  Union,  North  Union,  Indiana;  Pleasant 
Hill,  Michigan. 

230 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

Served  as  Presiding  Elder  ten  years:  seven  years  in  the 
Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference,  and  three  years  in  the  Nebraska 
Conference. 

Davis,  John  L. — Born  in  Worth  County,  Mo.,  June  26,  1875. 
Parents  were  Bartholomew  and  Amanda  Davis.  Raised  on 
the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-four  years,  entered  the 
ministry  in  1902  and  ordained  by  the  Nebraska  Conference  in 
1914. 

Married  to  Etna  Wilkerson,  January  6,  1897.  Eight  chil- 
dren: Ora,  Marie,  Carlos,  Priscilla,  Edward,  Claud,  Mildred 
(deceased),  Willard. 

Held  pastorates  at  Bonanga,  Ark.;  Helena,  Okla.;  Weep- 
ing Water,  Neb.;  Harper,  Kan.;  and  Osborne,  Kan.,  in  the 
Nebraska  Conference. 

Dean,  Ransom  Daniel — Born  near  Brown  City,  Sanilac  County, 
Mich.,  April  5,  1881.  Parents  were  Ransom  and  Caroline 
(Temple)  Dean.  Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common 
school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  years,  entered  the 
ministry  in  1917,  and  ordained  by  the  Michigan  Conference  in 
1920. 

Married  to  Matilda  Johnson,  June  19,  1906. 

Held  pastorates  at  Petoskey,  and  Pellston,  in  the  Michigan 
Conference. 

Detwiler,  Jacob  B. — Born  in  North  Dumfries  Township,  Waterloo 
County,  Ont.,  October  6,  1844.  Parents  were  Enoch  R.  and 
Abigail  (Bechtel)  Detwiler.  Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended 
the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  years  and  entered  the 
ministry  in  1879. 

Married  to  Harriet  Shantz,  March  18,  1866,  and  after  her 
death  to  Margaret  Williams,  February  28,  1911.  No  children, 
but  two  girls  adopted:    Louisa  Miller  and  Mary  Fister. 

Held  pastorates  at  Nottawasaga,  Kitchener,  Blair,  Elm- 
wood,  and  Bethel,  in  the  Ontario  Conference.  In  1894  removed 
to  Alberta,  where  he  remained  seventeen  years.  Spent  three 
months  in  1903  in  Washington  State,  and  had  charge  of  Moun- 
tain View  work.  Returned  to  Ontario  in  1913,  and  had  charge 
of  Sunnidale  work  for  seven  months. 

Editor  of  the  Gospel  Banner  for  two  years,  1886-1888. 

231 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Detwiler,  Noah— Born  in  Dumfries  Township,  Ontario,  March  23, 
1838.  Parents  were  Benjamin  and  Elizabeth  Detwiler.  Re- 
ceived a  common  school  education. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven.  Entered  the 
ministry  in  1874  and  was  ordained  in  the  same  year  by  Solomon 
Eby,  at  Port  Elgin. 

Married  to  Fanny  Bush  on  September  4,  1860.  Seven 
children:  Mrs.  Eliza  Sherk,  Mrs.  S.  S.  Hallman,  Sarah,  Jos- 
ephine, Lovina,  Hannah  Melinda,  and  Priscilla,  the  last  three 
being  deceased. 

First  traveling  minister  of  the  Ontario  Conference.  Held 
pastorates  at  Port  Elgin,  Nottawasaga,  Stayner,  Markham, 
Kitchener,  Bethel,  and  Toronto,  Ont. 

Also  traveled  through  Pennsylvania  and  Kansas  on  evan- 
gelistic tours,  and  spent  twelve  seasons  in  tabernacle  work  in 
the  Ontario  Conference. 

Died  December  25,  1914. 

Dickert,  Robert  William — Born  at  Quakertown,  Pa.,  December 
29,  1889.  Parents  were  William  B.  and  Sarah  Dickert.  At- 
tended the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  nine  years;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1916,  and  was  ordained  in  1919  by  the  Pennsylvania  Con- 
ference. 

Married  to  Miss  Nellie  Mae  Blank  on  December  25,  1912. 
One  child:  Mildred  Ethel. 

Held  pastorates  at  Quakertown,  Graterford,  and  Read- 
ing, Pa. 

Dodd,  Russell  Maynard — Born  in  Listowel,  Ontario,  August  16, 
1878.  Father  was  Charles  B.  Dodd.  Moved  to  Michigan  when 
fourteen  months  of  age;  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  entered  the  minis-try  in 
1899,  being  ordained  by  the  Michigan  Conference  in  1906. 

Married  to  Mary  M.  Swartz  on  April  17,  1900.  Seven 
children:  Vera,  Rorie,  Allen,  Virgil,  Clare,  Russell,  and  Fred- 
erick. 

Held  pastorates  at  Cass  River,  Elmer,  Brown  City,  Elk- 
ton,  Port  Huron,  and  Pontiac,  in  the  Michigan  Conference. 

Presiding  Elder  of  the  Michigan  Conference  1914-17;  1918- 

Douglass,  B. — Born  in  Huron  County,  Ontario,  August  20,  1874. 
Parents  were  Robert  and  Jane  S.  (McKersey)  Douglass.  At- 
tended the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years  and  entered  the 

232 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

ministry  in  1906,  being  ordained  by  the  Michigan  Conference 
in  1911. 

Married  to  Edith  L.  Tice  on  August  14,  1907.  Two  chil- 
dren:   Mary  Dorothy  and  Oliver  Glenn. 

Held  pastorates  at  Clearwater,  Colfax,  Cass  River,  and 
Brown  City,  in  the  Michigan  Conference. 

*Eby,  Amos — Born  near  Kitchener,  Ontario,  April  13,  1842. 
Parents  were  Benjamin  and  Elizabeth  (Cressman)  Eby. 
Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-nine  years;  entered  the 
ministry  in  1876  and  was  ordained  in  1888: 

Married  to  Esther  Mayer  on  February  9,  1869.  Six  chil- 
dren:   Allan,  Louisa,  Matilda,  Norman,  Josiah,  Ida. 

Held  pastorates  at  Port  Elgin,  Stayner,  Breslau,  Shrigley, 
Sunnidale,  Scott,  Toronto,  and  Vineland,  in  the  Ontario  Con- 
ference. 

*Eby,  Solomon — Born  in  Waterloo  County,  Ontario,  May  15, 
1834.  Parents  were  Benjamin  and  Elizabeth  (Cressman)  Eby. 
Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  thirty-five,  after  he  had  been 
preaching  in  the  Old  Mennonite  Church  for  eleven  years, 
having  been  ordained  in  1858. 

Married  to  Catirine  Shantz  on  June  17,  1855,  and  to  them 
twelve  children  were  born. 

Held  pastorates  at  Breslau,  Elmwood,  Bethel,  Markham, 
and  Kitchener,  in  the  Ontario  Conference. 

Presiding  Elder  of  the  Ontario  Conference  for  various 
terms  totaling  eighteen  years,  and  a  member  of  many  General 
Conferences.  Leader  of  the  Reformed  Mennonites  in  Canada 
when  they  separated  from  the  Old  Church,  and  active  in  the 
various  unions  that  later  resulted  in  the  M.  B.  C.  Church. 

For  further  details  see  biographical  sketch,  Chapter  III. 

Erb,  Isaac — Born  near  Stratford,  Ontario,  January  1,  1886.  Parents 
were  Dilman  Kinsey  and  Phoebe  (Huber)  Erb.  Raised  on  the 
farm  and  received  a  common  school  education.  Later  graduated 
from  the  Toronto  Bible  Training  College.  Graduated  in 
medicine  from  the  University  of  Toronto  in  1918. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years.    Entered  the  min- 
istry in  1909,  and  was  ordained  in  1914  by  the  Ontario  Con- 
ference.    Took  medical  training  with  a  view  of  becoming  a 
medical  missionary,  but  conditions  hindered  his  going.     Has 
233 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

had  charge  of  the  Department  of  Pathology  in  the  Hospital  for 
Sick  Children,  Toronto. 

Married  to  Olive  Leolia  Troxel  on  April  24,  1918.  One 
child:   John  Troxel  Erb. 

Fidler,  Joshua  Elmer — Born  at  North  Heidelberg,  Pa.,  January 
26,  1868.  Parents  were  John  K.  and  Sarah  A.  (Gruber)  Fidler. 
Raised  on  the  farm  and  educated  in  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years.  Entered  the  min- 
istry in  1888  and  ordained  in  1891  by  the  Pennsylvania  Con- 
ference. 

Married  to  Elizabeth  H.  Rittenhouse  on  June  6,  1889. 
Eight  children:  Naomi  R.,  Anna  R.,  John  R.,  Laura  Bertha, 
Rosa  Ruth,  Adoniram  Elmer,  Elsie  Isabelle,  and  Ethel  Eliza- 
beth. 

During  a  period  of  twenty-two  years  held  pastorates  at 
Norristown  and  Gratersford,  Quakertown  and  Hatfield, 
Coopersburg  and  Emaus,  Spring  City  and  Norristown,  Latrobe, 
Fairmount  and  Loop,  Royersford,  Upper  Milford,  Pa.;  Glen- 
gardner  and  Amandale,  N.  J.;  Markham,  Elmwood,  and 
Toronto,  Ont. 

Also  served  as  a  missionary  in  Hadjin,  Turkey. 

Flesher,  Oscar  Lee — Born  near  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  March  3,  1882. 
Parents  were  Jacob  and  Tamsy  Flesher.  Raised  on  the  farm 
and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  entered  the  ministry  in 
1905,  being  associated  with  the  Christian  Nation  Evangelistic 
Association.  United  with  the  M.  B.  C.  Church  in  1913  and 
was  ordained  in  1918. 

Married  to  Blanche  E.  Rohrer  on  January  16,  1907. 
Three  children:    Mildred,  Mamie,  Myrna. 

Held  pastorates  at  Dayton,  Ohio,  and  Wakarusa,  Ind.,  in 
the  Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference. 

Fretz,  Sylvester  H. — Born  near  Jordan,  Lincoln  County,  Ontario, 
October  2,  1870.  Parents  were  Samuel  and  Margaret  (Houser) 
Fretz.     Attended  the  public  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  entered  the  ministry  in 
1903,  and  was  ordained  in  1906. 

Married  to  Lydia  Ann  Eby  on  December  24,  1903.  Two 
children:    Samuel  Cornelius  and  Milton  Harold. 

Held  pastorates  at  Dornoch,  Bruce  Peninsula,  and  Mani- 
toulin  Island,  in  the  Ontario  Conference. 
234 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

Frey,  Harvey  R. — Born  at  Erbsville,  Waterloo  County,  Ontario, 
April  13,  1882.  Parents  were  Martin  M.  and  Susannah  (Rudy) 
Frey.  Received  a  common  school  education  and  later  took 
some  English  work  with  the  International  Correspondence 
School. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  and  entered  the  ministry 
in  1906,  being  ordained  by  the  Ontario  Conference  in  1910. 

Married  to  Ethyl  E.  Squire  on  September  14,  1909.  Three 
children:  Nellie  Jean,  Herbert  Squire,  and  Leslie  Morris  (de- 
ceased). 

Held  pastorates  at  Manitoulin  Island,  Maryboro,  Sunni- 
dale,  and  Breslau,  in  the  Ontario  Conference. 

Gehman,  William — Born  in  Hereford  Township,  Berks  County, 
Pa.,  January  22,  1827. 

Voted  into  the  ministry  when  quite  young  and  ordained 
in  1849. 

Married  to  Anna  Musselman,  and  to  them  were  born  five 
sons  and  four  daughters:  Menno,  Henry,  Francis,  Allen, 
William,  Amanda  (Mrs.  Geo.  Lambert),  Hannah  (Mrs.  H.  Z. 
Heist),  Mary  (Mrs.  D.  M.  Taylor),  Sarah  (Mrs.  A.  Hassler). 
The  first  and  last  named  are  deceased. 

Leader  of  the  Evangelical  Mennonites  when  they  separated 
from  the  Oberholtzer  branch  of  the  Mennonite  Church  (later 
General  Conference)  in  1857,  and  active  in  the  various  unions 
leading  to  the  M.  B.  C.  Church.  First  Presiding  Elder  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Conference,  which  office  he  held  for  thirteen 
consecutive  years,  until  his  retirement.  Attended  a  total  of 
106  special,  annual,  semi-annual,  and  general  conferences  and 
was  chairman  of  twenty-nine  of  these. 

Died  near  Allentown,  Pa.,  April  12,  1918. 

For  further  details  see  biographical  sketch,  Chapter  VII. 

Gehman,  William  George — Born  in  Vera  Cruz,  Lehigh  County, 
Pa.,  September  17,  1874.  Parents  were  William  and  Anna 
Gehman.  Raised  on  the  farm  and  received  a  high  school 
education. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  nine  years;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1896,  and  was  ordained  in  1899  by  the  Pennsylvania  Con- 
ference. 

Married  in  September,  1900,  to  Emma  T.  Kinsell,  and  after 
her  death  to  Lizzie  T.  Kinsell  in  August,  1910.    Seven  children, 
the  first  four  by  the  first  marriage:  Grace  I.,  Mildred  L.,  Va- 
leria M.,  Ethel  M.,  N.  Vivian,  Alma  K,  and  Wilbert  E. 
235 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Held  pastorates  at  Royersford  and  Spring  City,  Lehigh- 
ton  and  Weissport,  Mt.  Carmel,  and  Bethlehem,  Pa. 

Served  also  as  Presiding  Elder  since  1905  and  President 
of  the  Gospel  Herald  Society  since  1905. 

Geiger,  Amos — Born  in  Wilrnot  Township,  Waterloo  County, 
Ontario,  February  8,  1873.  Parents  were  Daniel  S.  and  Mag- 
dalena  (Hotell)  Geiger.  Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the 
common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years,  entered  the  min- 
istry in  1896  and  was  ordained  by  the  Ontario  Conference  in 
1915. 

Married  to  Nancy  Mathilta  Battler  on  June  20,  1894. 
Six  children:  Jerrimah,  Vernon  (deceased),  Melvin,  Irvin, 
Mary,  and  Lillie. 

Held  pastorate  at  Hespeler  and  labored  as  helper  at 
Bethel,  Bright,  Breslau,  and  a  few  other  places  in  the  Ontario 
Conference. 

Geiger,  Peter — Born  in  Wilmot  Township,  Ontario,  January  11, 
1835.  Raised  on  the  farm  and  received  a  common  school  edu- 
cation. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-four.  Entered  the  min- 
istry in  Huron  County,  Mich.,  in  1863. 

Married  to  Mary  Ann  Wilson  in  1858,  and  after  her  death 
in  1873,  to  Mrs.  John  Lemon  Connor  in  1874.  The  latter  died 
in  1900,  and  he  remarried  in  1902  to  Eliza  Shirley.  Six  chil- 
dren:   Albert,  James,  Adaline,  John,  Anna,  and  Lovina. 

Held  pastorates  for  about  twelve  years  in  Huron  County, 
Mich;  Blair,  Kitchener,  Breslau,  and  New  Dundee,  Ontario. 

Was  a  representative  at  the  conference  in  1875,  when  the 
New  and  Reformed  Mennonites  united. 

Died  February  3,  1920. 

Good,  Andrew — Born  in  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  February  6, 
1838.    Parents  were  Samuel  and  Catherine  Good. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty  years;  entered  the  min- 
istry in  the  Brethren  in  Christ  Church  about  1870,  serving  as 
pastor  and  evangelist.  In  1885  he  united  with  the  M.  B.  C. 
Church,  continuing  his  ministry. 

Married  to  Dianah  Hendrich  on  October  4,  1866.  There 
were  nine  children,  three  of  whom  are  deceased. 

Presiding  Elder  of  the  Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference  for 
three  years  (1887-1890).  The  greater  part  of  his  time  was 
devoted  to  evangelistic  work.  He  traveled  over  200,000  miles, 
236 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

preaching  in  nearly  every  state  in  the  Union,  also  making 
twenty-nine  trips  to  Canada  besides  one  to  Northwest  Canada. 
Died  at  New  Carlisle,  October  3,  1918. 

Good,  Cyrus  Nathaniel — Born  at  Clarinda,  Page  County,  Iowa, 
in  1869.  Parents  were  Jacob  G.  and  Elizabeth  (Frank)  Good. 
Received  a  common  school  education. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty,  entered  the  ministry  in 
1894  and  was  ordained  in  the  Ontario  Conference  in  1897. 

Married  to  Lovina  Snyder  in  1893,  and  after  her  death  to 
Livy  C.  Hallman,  in  1900.  Four  children:  Grace  Irene,  Ira 
Merle,  Gordon  Ray,  Myrtle  Dell. 

Held  pastorates  at  Port  Elgin,  Elmwood,  Breslau,  Aylmer, 
Toronto,  Markham,  and  Kitchener,  in  the  Ontario  Conference. 

Also  served  as  City  Mission  President  from  1913-1918; 
Presiding  Elder  for  1  year  (1918-1919),  and  Conference  Evan- 
gelist afterward. 

Gooding,  Thomas  Alonzo — Born  near  Washington,  Oxford 
County,  Ontario,  July  6,  1884.  Parents  were  Stephen  and 
Margaret  Gooding.  Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the 
common  school,  later  took  some  Bible  work  by  correspondence. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-one.  Entered  the  ministry 
in  1908  and  was  ordained  in  1912,  by  the  Ontario  Conference. 

Married  to  Flossie  Louisa  Duncan  on  September  18,  1912. 
Three  children:    Eldon,  Evelyn,  and  Dorothy. 

Held  pastorates  at  Manitoulin  Island,  Stayner,  Wallace, 
and  Maryboro,  Ontario. 

Goudie,  Henry — Born  in  Waterloo  County,  Ontario,  January  16, 
1851.  Parents  were  David  and  Nancy  Goudie.  Received  a 
common  school  education. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years;  entered  the  min- 
istry in  1878,  and  was  ordained  by  the  Ontario  Conference  in 
1881. 

Married  to  Sarah  Wildfong  on  December  24,  1872.  Seven 
children:  Angeline,  Alzinah,  Adah,  Nancy,  Emerillah,  Royal, 
Elkiah. 

For  twenty-eight  years  was  a  pastor,  and  for  fourteen 
years  Presiding  Elder  in  the  Ontario  and  Canadian  Northwest 
Conferences. 

Goudie,  Samuel — Born  in  Waterloo  County,  Ontario,  August  11, 
1866.  Parents  were  David  and  Nancy  (Wanner)  Goudie. 
Raised  on  the  farm  and  received  a  common  school  education. 

237 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Passed  entrance  examination  to  high  school,  and  took  up  con- 
tinuation work. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  seventeen.  Entered  the  ministry 
in  1886  and  was  ordained  in  1891,  by  the  Ontario  Conference. 

Married  to  Eliza  J.  Smith  on  March  20,  1889.  Three 
children:    Pearl  E.  (deceased),  Fletcher  S.,  and  Howard  A. 

Held  pastorates  at  Sherkston,  Port  Elgin,  Maryboro, 
Vineland,  Kitchener,  and  Toronto,  Ontario. 

Served  as  Presiding  Elder,  Associate  Editor  of  the  Gospel 
Banner,  and  Chairman  of  the  Executive  Board. 

Graybiel,  William— Born  in  Waterloo  County,  Ontario,  July  20, 
1862.  Parents  were  Edward  and  Mary  (Whitmer)  Graybiel. 
Raised  on  the  farm,  received  a  common  school  education. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years;  entered  the  min- 
istry in  1891,  and  was  ordained  by  the  Ontario  Conference  in 
1894. 

Married  to  Lucy  Ann  Young  in  1885.  Three  children: 
Verdella  Florence,  Mary  Lucile,  and  Isaiah  Ashton. 

Served  as  a  pastor  for  twenty  years  in  the  Michigan  and 
Ontario  Conferences,  and  as  Presiding  Elder  for  two  years  in 
the  former. 

Green,  Sheridan  J. — Born  in  Midland  County,  Mich.,  January  4, 
1869.  Father  was  Francis  Green.  Was  educated  in  the  public 
schools. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty  years;  entered  the  min- 
istry in  1898,  and  was  ordained  in  1901  by  the  Nebraska  Con- 
ference. 

Married  to  Edith  Herriman  on  January  3,  1901.  Three 
children:    Charles  Gerald,  Delbert  Francis,  Veleda  Mae. 

Held  pastorates  at  New  Market,  Iowa;  Milford,  Oxford, 
and  Cambridge,  Neb.;  Osborne  and  Reamsville,  Kan.,  and 
Hinton,  Okla. 

Died  February  10,  1915. 

Grout,  John  Garfield — Born  in  Linn,  Wabash  County,  111.,  Sep- 
tember 22,  1881.  Parents  were  Elon  and  Luella  Grout.  Raised 
on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-three ;  entered  the  ministry 
the  same  year,  and  was  ordained  in  1907  by  the  Pacific  Con- 
ference. 

Married  to  Edith  Leona  Zediker  on  October  26,  1907. 
Three  children:  La  Vera  Leona,  Claude  LeEldrin,  Leland 
Moffet. 

238 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

Held  pastorates  in  Filer,  Idaho;  Pleasant  Valley,  Mt.  View, 
and  Yakima,  Wash.,  in  the  Pacific  Conference. 

Served  as  Home  Mission  Superintendent  one  year,  Editor 
of  the  Gospel  Preacher  three  years,  Conference  Evangelist 
three  years,  and  President  of  the  Pacific  Coast  Evangels  one 
year. 

Grout,  William  Rathborn— Born  in  Lynn,  111.,  March  19,  1883. 
Parents  were  Elon  and  Luella  Grout.  Raised  on  the  farm  and 
received  a  common  school  education. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty  years.  Entered  the  min- 
istry in  1908  and  was  ordained  in  1913  by  the  Pacific  Confer- 
ence. 

Married  to  Arcie  Wright  on  March  7,  1912.  One  child: 
Donell  LaVee. 

Held  pastorates  at  Strandell,  Belfast,  Bremerton,  Yakima, 
Mt.  View,  Birch  Bay,  Leber,  Wash. 

Grover,  Theodore  D. — Born  in  Smith  County,  Kan.,  October  5, 
1884.  Parents  were  Matthew  D.  and  Margaret  L.  (McNealy) 
Grover.  Raised  on  the  farm,  and  received  a  common  school 
education. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  years;  entered  the 
ministry  in  1913  and  was  ordained  in  1916  by  the  Nebraska 
Conference. 

Married  to  Mary  V.  Tilton  on  December  28,  1910.  Two 
children:    Julius  H.  and  Virgil  K. 

Held  pastorates  at  Bethel,  Kan.,  and  Trenton,  Iowa,  in 
the  Nebraska  Conference. 

Gugin,  John  Francis — Born  in  Osprey  Township,  Grey  County, 
Ontario,  April  30,  1870.  Parents  were  George  and  Elizabeth 
(Vogle)  Gugin.  Raised  on  the  farm  and  educated  in  the  com- 
mon school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight  years;  entered  the 
ministry  soon  after,  and  was  ordained  in  1905  by  the  Ontario 
Conference. 

Married  to  Daisy  Young  on  February  27,  1901.  Six  chil- 
dren: George  L.,  Roswell  W.,  Arthur  W.,  Irene  P.,  Annie  M., 
and  Florence  L. 

Held  pastorates  at  Manitoulin  Island  and  Hespeler,  Ont., 
in  the  Ontario  Conference,  and  Didsbury,  and  Castor,  in  the 
Canadian  Northwest  Conference. 

Guy,  Jesse  Samuel — Born  near  London,  Ontario,  September  2, 
1862.     Parents  were  Robert  and  Charlotte  Guy.     Lived  in 
239 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Michigan  near  Brown  City  from  early  childhood,  and  received 
a  common  school  education. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-four  years;  entered  the 
ministry  in  1887,  and  was  ordained  in  1890. 

Married  to  Euphemia  Pool  on  January  4,  1888. 

Held  pastorates  at  Dornoch,  Vineland,  Stayner,  in  the 
Ontario  Conference. 

Died  March  15,  1897. 

Hall,  James — Born  in  Owen  Sound,  Ontario,  in  1862.  Parents 
were  William  and  Margaret  Jane  (Hoath)  Hall.  Raised  on  the 
farm  and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-five.  Entered  the  min- 
istry in  1888  and  was  ordained  in  1892  by  the  Ontario  Confer- 
ence. 

Married  to  Janet  Douglass  on  March  27,  1889.  Two  chil- 
dren:  William  Robert  and  Lorance  Douglass. 

Held  pastorates  in  Wetzell,  Leetsville,  and  Lamotte,  Mich. 

Served  as  Evangelist  in  Michigan  for  six  years,  and  later 
moved  to  Alberta,  where  he  engaged  in  frontier  work. 

Hallman,  H.  S.— Born  August  5,  1859. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years;  entered  the  min- 
istry in  1881  and  was  ordained  in  1885. 

Was  married  to  Maria  Rosenberger  on  February  18,  1881. 
Nine  children:  Manilla  (Mrs.  Roy  Shantz,  deceased),  Abner, 
Ellen  (Mrs.  H.  Geach),  Lome,  Arnetta  (Mrs.  A.  Bentley), 
Grace  Isabelle,  Alice  Myrtle,  William  Howard,  and  Frances 
Ruth. 

Held  pastorates  at  Port  Elgin  and  Elmwood  in  the  On- 
tario Conference. 

Elected  Editor  of  the  Gospel  Banner  in  1888  and  served 
for  twenty  years;  also  served  as  Publisher  from  1899-1908. 

Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  the  Ontario  Conference  Mis- 
sion Board  from  1898  to  1910,  and  President  from  1910  to 
1917.  President  of  the  Ontario  Conference  City  Mission  work 
for  several  years.  Secretary  of  the  Ontario  Conference  for 
fifteen  years,  and  of  the  General  Conference  for  twelve  years. 

Published  several  periodicals  and  a  Gospel  Text  Calendar. 

For  several  years  pastor  of  the  United  Tabernacle,  an  in- 
dependent church  in  Columbus,  Ohio.  Later,  Superintendent 
of  the  Publishing  Business  of  The  Christian  and  Missionary 
Alliance,  New  York  City. 

240 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

Havens,  William  B. — Born  in  Wayne  County,  Ind.,  April  12, 1842. 
Parents  were  James  and  Mary  Havens.  Received  a  common 
school  education. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1894,  being  ordained  in  1914  by  the  Pacific  Conference. 

Married  to  Eliza  Jane  Reasoner  on  February  23,  1862. 
Five  children:  Mary  Levina,  Ellie  Clendora,  Cary  Oscar,  Cora 
Alice  and  Lewis  Austin. 

Held  pastorates  at  Norton  County,  North  Dakota;  Everett, 
Lyman,  Leber,  and  Strandell,  Wash.;  and  Portland,  Ore. 

Heffner,  William  Franklin — Born  at  Fleetwood,  Pa.,  September 
3,  1892.  Parents  were  Daniel  and  Andora  Heffner.  Attended 
the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1916,  and  was  ordained  in  1920  by  the  Pennsylvania  Con- 
ference. 

Married  to  Anneda  Schearer  on  July  22,  1913.  Three 
children :  Ethel  Mae,  Donald  Elwood,  and  Helen  Ruth. 

Held  pastorates  at  Washington,  N.  J.;  Nazareth,  and 
Quakertown,  Pa. 

Henderson,  Omer  Bion — Born  near  Clarinda,  Page  County,  Iowa, 
February  14,  1871.  Parents  were  Samuel  Butler  and  Sarah 
Elizabeth  (Perkins)  Henderson.  Raised  on  the  farm,  and  at- 
tended the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-one;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1895,  and  was  ordained  in  1898  by  the  Nebraska  Conference. 

Married  to  Eva  Belle  Fowler  on  February  2,  1898.  Five 
children:  Paul  F.,  Rose  Esma,  Louise  E.,  Earl  T.,  and  Omer  B., 
the  last  two  being  deceased. 

Held  pastorates  at  Hillsdale  and  Oswego,  Kan.;  Sham- 
baugh,  Iowa;  and  Milford,  Neb.,  in  the  Nebraska  Conference. 

Served  as  Presiding  Elder  of  the  Nebraska  Conference  for 
three  years. 

Herber,  William  Ralph— Born  at  Clarksville,  Mich.,  April  13, 
1895.  Parents,  Henry  H.  and  Ada  A.  (Nash)  Herber.  Raised 
on  the  farm,  and  educated  in  the  common  and  high  school  at 
Brown  City,  Mich. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  seventeen;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1916,  and  was  ordained  in  1920. 

Married  to  Ida  Luella  Wilks  on  April  6,  1918. 

Held  pastorates  at  Fremont,  and  Detroit,  in  the  Michigan 
Conference. 

16  241 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Herriman,  Charles  Hance — Born  in  Ohio,  April  28,  1843.  Parents 
were  John  C.  and  Julian  (Nedrow)  Herriman.  Attended  the 
common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  thirty-six  years;  entered  the  min- 
istry in  1895,  and  ordained  in  1898  by  the  Nebraska  Confer- 
ence. 

Married  to  Maggie  Brown  in  March,  1867.  Nine  children: 
Maude,  Benjamin,  Edith,  Grace,  Glendora,  Vanzo,  Oliver, 
Cecil,  and  Frederick. 

Most  of  his  ministry  was  served  in  a  local  capacity. 

Hershey,  Eusebius — Born  near  Manheim,  Lancaster  County, 
Pa.,  August  14,  1823. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years;  joined  the  United 
Brethren  Church  and  started  preaching  for  them  in  1842. 
About  1845  he  joined  the  M.  B.  C.  Church,  then  called  the 
Evangelical  Mennonites.  He  traveled  many  miles  through 
various  states  preaching,  and  made  thirteen  trips  to  Canada. 

He  early  felt  the  call  to  Africa,  and  on  November  1,  1890, 
sailed  from  New  York,  arriving  at  Sierre  Leone  after  thirty- 
eight  days.  He  labored  through  an  interpreter  for  six  months, 
then  took  sick,  and  after  a  short  illness  of  seven  days  died  on 
May  24,  1891. 

Hess,  John  Henry — Born  in  Newton,  Kan.,  July  12,  1886.  Parents 
were  Daniel  and  Hattie  Hess.  Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended 
the  common  school.  Later  took  some  high-school  work  and  a 
course  in  Bible  training  at  the  Bible  School,  at  Tabor,  Iowa. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  fifteen.  Was  ordained  to  the 
ministry  by  the  Hepzibah  Faith  Missionary  Association  in 
1908,  and  accepted  as  a  minister  by  the  Nebraska  Conference 
in  1918,  and  was  ordained  by  them  in  1920. 

Married  to  Naomi  Weavers,  September  1,  1908.  Four 
children:  Susannah  Hattie,  Beulah  May,  Geraldine  Pearl,  and 
Robert  Daniel. 

Held  pastorate  at  Shambaugh,  Iowa. 

Hillegass,  Oswin  S. — Born  in  Montgomery  County,  Pa.,  Sep- 
tember 14,  1859.  Parents  were  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  (Slo- 
necker)  Hillegass. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-one;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1889,  and  was  ordained  in  1892  by  the  Pennsylvania  Con- 
ference. 

Married  on  September  27,  1879,  to  Celia  H.  Steiner.  Five 
children:  Joseph,  Emma  Alvesta,  Annie  Louisa,  Noami  Ruth, 
Leah  May.    (All  deceased). 

242 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

Held  pastorates  at  Reading,  Allentown,  Bethlehem,  Weiss- 
port  and  Lehighton,  Terre  Hill,  Graterford,  Zionsville,  North- 
ampton, Quakertown,  Pa. 

Hill,  Henry — Born  in  Lamton  County,  Ontario,  in  1849.  Parents 
were  James  and  Almeda  Hill.  Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended 
the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  thirty  years;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1906,  and  was  ordained  in  1917  in  the  Michigan  Conference. 

Married  to  Clara  Streeter  on  April  29,  1872.  Five  chil- 
dren:   Wallace,  Ethel,  Emma,  Jennie,  Frank. 

Held  pastorates  at  Ubly,  Bad  Axe,  South  Garfield,  Cale- 
donia, and  Wetzell,  in  the  Michigan  Conference. 

Hilts,  William  John — Born  near  Victoria  Square,  Ontario,  January 
24,  1842.  Parents  were  Godfrey  and  Mary  Hilts.  Raised  on 
the  farm  and  educated  in  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years;  ordained  by  the 
Ontario  Conference  in  1880,  previous  to  which  he  had  spent 
some  years  as  a  local  minister  among  the  Evangelical  Meth- 
odists. 

Married  to  Eliza  Jane  Hilts  on  January  12,  1864.  One 
child:    William  Albert. 

Held  pastorates  at  Sunnidale,  Bethel,  Vineland,  Brown 
City  (Mich.),  Maryboro,  Shrigley,  Scott,  Port  Elgin,  in  the 
Ontario  Conference. 

Died  June  19,  1901 . 

Hodson,  Emerson  L. — Born  in  Indiana,  October  12,  1860.  Parents 
Allen  and  Mary  E.  Hodson.    Attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  thirty-six;  entered  the  ministry  in 
1901,  and  ordained  in  1905  by  the  Nebraska  Conference. 

Married  to  Maud  A.  Lucas  on  November  18,  1885.  Ono 
child:    Perry  A. 

Held  six  different  pastorates  during  a  period  of  fourteen 
years,  in  the  Nebraska  Conference. 

Holdeman,  Franklin  Alvin — Born  in  Branch  County,  Mich., 
January  19,  1879.  Parents  were  Abraham  and  Elizabeth 
Holdeman.  Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common 
school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years;  entered  the  min- 
istry in  1899,  and  ordained  in  1902  by  the  Indiana  and  Ohio 
Conference. 

Married  to  Emma  Sando  on  March  25,  1908.    Two  chil- 
dren:   Edith  Myra  and  Nancy  Elizabeth. 
243 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Held  pastorates  at  Goshen,  Ind.;  Latrobe  and  Hollidays- 
burg,  Pa.,  in  the  Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference. 

Homuth,  Charles  Tobias — Born  in  Wingham,  Huron  County, 
Ontario,  March  12,  1872.  Parents  were  William  F.  and  Eliza- 
beth (Gingrich)  Homuth.  Raised  on  the  farm,  and  educated  in 
the  common  school;  later  attended  the  Christian  and  Mission- 
ary Alliance  Institute  two  terms. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  fourteen;  entered  the  ministry  in 
the  M.  B.  C.  Church  in  1909,  and  was  ordained  in  1911  by  the 
Ontario  Conference. 

In  1898  was  pastor  of  the  Christian  Workers'  Church  in 
Toronto,  and  1903  went  to  Africa  with  wife  as  missionary  under 
the  Africa  Industrial  Mission  (Sudan  Interior  Mission);  re- 
turned in  a  year  and  a  half,  due  to  sickness  of  wife.  Entered 
the  M.  B.  C.  work  in  1909,  in  the  Ontario  Conference,  being 
sent  to  Aylmer.  Returned  to  Africa  in  1912,  and  spent  two 
three-year  terms  there.  On  return,  went  to  the  Canadian 
Northwest  and  worked  under  the  Canadian  Northwest  Con- 
ference, stationed  at  Alsask,  Saskatchewan. 

Hostetler,  Jacob  J. — Born  in  Holmes  County,  Ohio,  August  12, 
1854.  Parents  were  Moses  J.  and  Elizabeth  (Mast)  Hostetler. 
Raised  on  the  farm;  commenced  teaching  school  at  seventeen 
years  of  age.  Received  a  high-school  education  at  County  Nor- 
mals and  at  Valparaiso,  Ind.;  took  Bible  courses  by  corre- 
spondence. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years;  entered  the  min- 
istry in  1893,  and  was  ordained  in  1896. 

Married  to  Jennie  Nelson  on  November  26,  1876,  and 
after  her  death  to  Samantha  Leatherman,  on  April  22,  1894; 
after  her  death,  to  Ida  Tchumi,  on  March  19,  1913.  Seven 
children  by  first  marriage:  William  Owen,  Myrtle  May,  Perley 
Grover,  Grace  Gladdys,  Roxanna,  Ora  Mansel,  and  Bessie  Belle, 
the  last  two  being  deceased. 

Held  pastorates  at  Bluff  ton,  S.  Dak.;  Shambaugh,  Iowa; 
Nappanee,  Wakarusa,  Elkhart,  and  Goshen,  Ind.;  Greenville, 
Lima,  and  Dayton,  Ohio — all  appointments  in  the  Indiana 
and  Ohio  Conference. 

Also  served  as  Assistant  Secretary  and  Secretary  of  the 
Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference,  Superintendent  of  the  M.  B.  C. 
Bible  Training  School,  and  Editor  of  the  Seminary  Evangelist. 

Hottel,  Frank  M. — Born  at  Locust  Valley,  Lehigh  County,  Pa., 
August  21,  1882.    Parents  were  Solomon  and  Mary  Ann  Hottel. 
Attended  the  common  school  and  took  a  correspondence  course. 
244 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  nine  years;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1905,  and  was  ordained  in  1909  by  the  Pennsylvania  Con- 
ference. 

Married  on  March  2,  1906,  to  Ida  Gertrude  Moyer.  Six 
children:  Verlette  Mae,  Harvey  W.,  Clarence  W.,  Ruth  Hilda, 
Winfred  Bruce,  and  Grace  Pearl. 

Held  pastorates  at  Washington,  N.  J.,  Fleetwood,  Blandon, 
Terre  Hill,  Reading,  and  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Huffman,  Calvin  Irvin — Born  in  Kosciusko  County,  Ind.,  October 
6,  1875.  Parents  were  John  W.  and  Hannah  Martha  Huffman. 
Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years;  entered  the  min- 
istry in  1896,  and  was  ordained  in  1901  by  the  Indiana  and 
Ohio  Conference. 

Married  to  Cora  Sando  on  December  31,  1896.  Four  chil- 
dren: Russell  J.,  D.  Irene,  Francis  Feme,  and  Charles  Marion. 

Held  pastorates  at  Union  Chapel,  Stringtown,  Western 
Pennsylvania  circuit,  Beech,  Phillipsburg,  Berlamont,  New 
Carlisle,  all  in  the  Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference. 

Served  as  Presiding  Elder  of  the  Ohio  District  of  the 
Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference  for  five  years,  1912-1917. 

Huffman,  David  H. — Born  in  Noble  County,  Ind.,  January  6, 
1867.  Parents  were  John  W.  and  Hannah  Martha  Huffman. 
Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty  years;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1916  and  was  ordained  in  1920. 

Married  to  Hettie  R.  Smeltzer  on  March  26,  1891.  Six 
children:  Herbert  A.,  Julia  Ruth,  George  Arthur,  Mary  E., 
Jessie  Paul,  and  Carl  D.,  the  last  two  being  deceased. 

Assistant  pastor  at  Elkhart,  Ind.,  and  pastor  of  the  Misha- 
waka  church,  in  the  Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference. 

Huffman,  Jasper  Abraham— Born  in  Elkhart  County,  Ind.,  Feb- 
ruary 28,  1880.  Parents  were  John  W.  and  Martha  Huffman. 
Attended  the  public  schools  of  Indiana;  graduated  from  Bone- 
brake  Theological  Seminary,  1909;  graduate  student  University 
of  Chicago,  1915;  received  A.  B.  from  Bluffton  College,  1915; 
B.  D.  from  McCormick  Theological  Seminary,  1919;  honored 
by  Taylor  University  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity  in 
1920. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  eleven  years;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1898,  and  ordained  in  1904  by  the  Indiana  and  Ohio  Confer- 
ence. 

245 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Married  Elizabeth  D.  Lambert  on  May  5,  1901.  Four 
children:  David  Paul,  Martha  Emma  (deceased),  S.  Lambert, 
and  John  Abram. 

Held  pastorates  at  Georgetown  and  Phillipsburg,  New 
Carlisle  and  Pleasant  Grove,  and  Dayton,  in  the  Indiana  and 
Ohio  Conference. 

Served  as  Editor  of  the  Gospel  Banner,  1912-  ;  Editor 
and  Publisher  of  the  Gospel  Banner,  1916-1920;  Editor  of  the 
Bethel  Series  of  Simday  School  Literature,  1909-  ;  Chairman 
of  the  Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference  Foreign  Mission  Board; 
Professor  of  New  Testament  Literature  and  Exegesis  in  Bluff- 
ton  College  and  Mennonite  Seminary,  1914-  .  Author  of 
"Redemption  Completed,"  "Old  Testament  Messages  of  the 
Christ,"  "Job  a  World  Example,"  "Upper  Room  Messages," 
and  Editor-in-Chief  of  the  History  of  the  M.  B.  C.  Church. 
Secretary  of  General  Conference  in  1920. 
Huffman,  William  Judson — Born  in  Noble  County,  Ind.,  Novem- 
ber 19,  1871.  Parents  were  John  W.  and  Hannah  Martha 
Huffman.  Received  a  common  school  education,  and  attended 
high  school  at  Wolf  Lake,  Ind. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  seventeen;  entered  the  ministry  in 
1891,  and  was  ordained  in  1897  by  the  Indiana  and  Ohio  Con- 
ference. 

Married  to  Jennie  F.  Good  on  February  9,  1893.  Four 
children:  Walter  Andrew,  Chester  Arthur,  John  Elgar,  and 
Orpha  May. 

Held  pastorates  at  Georgetown,  Beech  Grove,  Greenville, 
Ohio;  Western  Pennsylvania;  Goshen  and  Oak  Grove,  Ind.,  in 
the  Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference. 

Served  as  Presiding  Elder  of  the  Indiana  and  Ohio  Con- 
ference for  three  years,  and  worked  under  the  North  Indiana 
M.  E.  Conference  for  five  years. 
Hygema,  David — Born  in  Kosciusko  County,  Ind.,  October  13, 
1862.  Parents  were  Romke  and  Yetskey  Hygema.  Left  an 
orphan  at  the  age  of  twelve  years;  received  a  common  school 
education. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty  years;  entered  the  min- 
istry in  1891,  and  was  ordained  in  1895  by  the  Indiana  and 
Ohio  Conference. 

Married  to  Sarah  Loucks  on  February  4,  1884.  Six  chil- 
dren:   Martha,  William,  Irvin,  Pearl,  Mabel,  Grace. 

Held  pastorates  at  West  Union,  Southwest,  Elkhart, 
Goshen,  Bethel,  Oak  Grove,  and  Nappanee,  Ind.,  in  the  Indiana 
and  Ohio  Conference. 

246 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

Hygema,  Jacob — Born  in  Marshall  County,  Ind.,  November  26, 

1869.  Parents  were  Romke  and  Yetskey  Hygema.  Left  an 
orphan  at  the  age  of  five  years,  and  placed  in  three  different 
homes  till  seventeen.  Attended  the  common  school,  also  a 
Free  Will  Baptist  college  one  term. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-one;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1892  and  was  ordained  in  1897  by  the  Nebraska  Conference. 

Married  to  Esther  Stahly  on  November  24,  1898.  No 
children,  but  adopted  two  girls:  Olive  (deceased)  and  Dorotha 
May. 

Held  pastorates  at  Stuttgart,  Ark.;  West  Union,  Ind.; 
Milford  and  Cambridge,  Nebraska;  Shambaugh  and  Trenton, 
la.;  Harper,  Kan.;  and  Mountain  View,  Wash. 

Served  as  Presiding  Elder  one  year  in  the  Nebraska  Con- 
ference; teacher  in  Bible  schools  eight  winters;  Associate  Editor 
of  the  Gospel  Banner  eight  years ;  elected  as  instructor  in  the 
Fort  Wayne  Bible  School  in  1920. 

Jackson,  George  Clement — Born  in  Holland  Township,  Grey 
County,  Ontario,  September  25,  1881.  Parents  were  Thomas 
and  Susan  Jackson.    Educated  in  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  thirteen;  entered  the  ministry  and 
was  ordained  in  1914  by  the  Ontario  Conference. 

Married  to  Charlotte  Allen  on  October  13,  1903.  Two 
children:    Ida  Pearl  and  Allen  Thomas. 

Jett,  Warner  Maddox — Born  at  Lagrange,  Ky.,  December  13, 

1870.  Parents  were  James  P.  and  Huldah  F.  (Maddox)  Jett. 
Received  a  common  school  education. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  thirty-five  years;  entered  the  min- 
istry in  1911,  and  was  ordained  in  1914  by  the  Nebraska  Con- 
ference. 

Married  to  Carrie  Saylor  on  December  9,  1897,  and  after 
her  death  to  Nannie  Jamieson,  on  September  9,  1909.  Three 
children:  Feme,  James  Edmond,  and  Lowell  La  Verne,  the 
former  from  first  marriage. 

Held  pastorates  at  Oswego.  Kan.,  and  Bloomington,  Neb., 
in  the  Nebraska  Conference. 

Jones,  Fred  A. — Born  in  St.  Clair  County,  Mich.,  August  16, 
1779.  Father  was  M.  S.  Jones.  Raised  on  the  farm  and  re- 
ceived a  common  school  education;  later  attended  two  terms 
of  Bible  School  at  Elkhart,  Ind. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-one;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1904,  and  ordained  in  1914  by  the  Michigan  Conference. 
247 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

E  Married  to  Ella  Nash  on  April  11,  1905.  Three  children: 
Ethel  (deceased),  Ray,  and  Roy. 

!>  Held  pastorates  at  Bliss,  Brown  City,  Yale,  Greenwood, 
Detroit,  and  Cass  City,  in  the  Michigan  Conference. 

Kagey,  Fay  Stewart — Born  in  Blaine,  Whatcome  County,  Wash., 
September  14,  1892.  Parents  were  Joseph  Henry  and  Mary 
Katherine  Kagey.  Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  com- 
mon school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  fifteen;  entered  the  ministry  in 
1910,  being  ordained  in  1912  by  the  Pacific  Conference. 

Married  to  Ruth  Bessie  Thompson  on  March  10,  1917. 

Held  pastorates  at  Culver,  Ore.;  Lyman,  Sirandell,  and 
Granger,  Wash. 

Also  served  as  Vice  Presiding  Elder  of  the  Pacific  Confer- 
ence. 

*Kauffman,  Abraham  Huber — Born  near  Lancaster  City,  Pa., 
August  6,  1854.  Parents  were  Christian  and  Mary  Kauffman. 
Raised  on  the  farm  and  educated  in  the  common  school. 

Baptized  and  joined  the  church  at  the  age  of  twenty-two, 
but  not  clear  in  conversion  till  thirty-four.  Entered  the  min- 
istry in  1891,  and  was  ordained  in  1894  by  the  Indiana  and 
Ohio  Conference. 

Married  to  Lizzie  B.  Horst  on  September  9,  1873.  Four 
children:    Harvey  H.,  Ada  H.,  Elmer  H.,  and  Alvin  H. 

Held  pastorates  at  Weaver  School  House,  Kan.;  Grand 
Rapids,  Mich.,  and  Port  Huron,  Mich. 

Served  for  some  time  as  evangelist,  city  missionary,  and 
tabernacle  worker.  Organized  the  classes  and  built  the  churches 
at  Elkhart,  Ind.,  and  Port  Huron,  Mich. 

For  some  years  has  been  connected  with  the  Nazarene 
church. 
Kitching,  John  Norman — Born  at  Shrigley,  Dufferin  County, 
Ontario,  June  10,  1869.  Parents  were  Thomas  and  Elizabeth 
Kitching.  Raised  on  the  farm,  and  educated  in  the  common 
school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  eighteen;  entered  the  ministry  in 
1891,  and  was  ordained  in  1895  by  the  Ontario  Conference. 

Married  to  Matilda  A.  Goudie,  July  15,  1903,  and  after 
her  death  to  Hannah  B.  Little,  November  15,  1904.  Five 
children:  Verdella,  Vera,  Bertha  (deceased),  Edna,  and  John 
Alvin. 

Held  pastorates  at  Bright,  Ont.;  Wetzell,  Greenwood, 
Brown  City,  and  Port  Huron,  Mich.;  Owen  Sound,  Kitchener, 

248 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

Toronto,  and  Scott,  Ont.,  under  the  Ontario  and  Michigan 
Conferences. 

Served  as  City  Mission  President  seven  years,  and  Con- 
ference Treasurer  four  years,  in  the  Ontario  Conference;  also  a 
member  of  the  Foreign  Mission  Board. 

Kiteley,  Nelson — Born  in  Guilliansbery  Township,  York  County, 
Ontario,  April  15,  1844.  Parents  were  Henry  and  Sarah 
Kiteley.  Raised  on  the  farm  and  received  a  common  school 
education. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty  years;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1870,  and  was  ordained  in  1873  in  the  Brethren  Church. 
United  with  the  M.  B.  C.  Church  in  1882. 

Married  to  Maria  Dougherty  on  November  10,  1864,  and 
after  her  death,  to  Rachel  Alexander  in  1889.  Eleven  children: 
Martha  A.,  James  H.,  Alfred  E.,  Sarah  J.,  Jamima  M.,  Char- 
lotte V.,  Lewis  W.,  Edward  A.  G.,  Emerson  A.  W.,  Norene  E., 
and  Irene  R.,  the  last  five  being  of  the  second  marriage. 

Came  to  Michigan  in  1889.  Served  as  pastor  at  Bliss, 
Clearwater,  Cass  River,  Caledonia,  and  Elmer. 

Krack,  Elmer — Born  at  Brown  City,  Mich.,  February  24,  1878. 
Father  was  John  Krack.  Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the 
common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1911,  and  was  ordained  in  1917  by  the  Michigan  Conference. 

Married  to  Ethel  S.  Brooks  on  May  31,  1911.  Four  chil- 
dren:   Esther,  Wesley,  Russel,  Marcus. 

Held  pastorates  at  Elmer  and  Colfax,  Mich.,  in  the  Mich- 
igan Conference. 

Kratz,  Harvey  K. — Born  at  Souderton,  Montgomery  County,  Pa., 
February  14,  1879.  Parents  were  Daniel  C.  and  Lizzie  Kratz. 
Attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-one;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1906,  and  was  ordained  in  1909  by  the  Pennsylvania  Con- 
ference. 

Married  to  Laura  D.  Gehman  on  July  24,  1904,  and  after 
her  death  to  Attie  I.  Schaden  on  October  5,  1911.  Two  chil- 
dren: Marian  G.,  and  Harold  Leighton. 

Held  pastorates  at  Walnutport,  Macungie  and  Emaus, 
Graterford  and  Harleysville,  Coopersburg,  Spring  City  and 
Royersford,  Pa. 

Kreider,  Levi — Born  in  Lagrange  County,  Ind.,  November  13, 
1857.     Parents  were  Tobias  and  Eliza  Kreider. 

249 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  thirty-four;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1905,  and  was  ordained  in  1909  by  the  Indiana  and  Ohio 
Conference. 

Married  to  Rebecca  Keller,  June  4,  1881.  One  child, 
Lydia  L. 

Held  pastorates  at  West  Union,  Elkhart,  Pleasant  Hill, 
Nappanee,  and  Wakarusa,  Ind.;  Georgetown,  Ohio,  in  the 
Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference. 

Kreutziger,  Bernhard — Born  in  Saxaldenburg,  Germany,  June 
12,  1843.  Parents  were  Andrew  and  Anna  Kreutziger.  Came 
to  America  when  four  years  of  age  with  parents,  who  settled  in 
Waterloo  County,  Ontario.  Raised  on  the  farm,  and  educated 
in  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  thirty-three;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1884,  and  was  ordained  in  1885  by  the  Ontario  Conference. 

Married  to  Phoebe  Haeberle  on  December  13,  1867.  Seven 
children:  Sarah  Ann,  Matilda,  Mary  Ann,  Simon,  Lydia,  Ella, 
and  Andrew. 

Held  pastorates  at  Brown  City,  Lamotte,  and  Amadore 
Mich,  and  at  Bethel  and  New  Dundee,  Ontario. 

Kreutziger,  Simon  H. — Born  in  Peel  Township,  Ontario,  April  15, 
1880.  Parents  were  Bernhard  and  Phoebe  (Haeberle)  Kreut- 
ziger.    Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight;  entered  the  min- 
istry in  1909,  and  was  ordained  in  1915  by  the  Michigan  Con- 
ference. 

Married  to  Lizzie  D.  Jacobs  on  December  13,  1900. 
Seven  children:  Irma  Elizabeth,  Alfred  C.  Phoebe  A.,  Orville 
R.,  Mary  F.,  Beulah,  and  Dorothy  A. 

Held  pastorates  at  Elmer,  Wheatland,  Williamsburg,  and 
Port  Huron,  in  the  Michigan  Conference. 

*Krupp,  John— Born  in  Pennsylvania,  August  7,  1840.  Parents 
were  Joseph  and  Mary  Krupp.  When  young  moved  with  his 
parents  to  Elkhart  County,  Indiana.  Raised  on  the  farm  and 
educated  in  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight  years  when  a  min- 
ister in  the  Old  Church,  and,  along  with  Daniel  Brenneman, 
was  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  Reformed  Mennonites  who  later 
became  the  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ. 

Married   to  Eliza  Ann  Waterman  on  January   1,    1862. 
Nine  children:    Mary  Ann,  Hannah,  Daniel,  Rhoda,  Emaline, 
Eliza,  Katy  Maude,  Smith  Frederick,  and  Joseph. 
250 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

Held  pastorates  and  did  a  great  deal  of  itinerary  preach- 
ing in  Michigan,  Indiana,  Iowa,  and  Arkansas. 
Also  served  as  Presiding  Elder  and  Evangelist. 
Died  on  August  9,  1911,  of  heart  failure. 

Kublic,  Emmanuel  Edward — Born  in  Germany,  September  8, 
1878.  Parents  were  Julius  and  Augustina  Kublic.  Came  to 
Pennsylvania  when  very  young,  attended  the  common  schools. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  eighteen;  entered  the  ministry  in 
1899,  and  was  ordained  in  1907. 

Married  to  Katie  E.  Moyer  on  January  14,  1907,  and  after 
her  death  to  Clara  Curry  on  October  12,  1915.  Two  children: 
Ferol  A.  and  Shinier  E. 

Held  pastorates  at  Stroudsburg,  Pa.,  and  worked  in  the 
Gospel  Herald  Society  at  Emaus,  Macungie  and  Lehighton. 

Lambert,  David  U. — Born  in  Northampton  county,  Pa.,  October 
19,  1851.  Parents  were  D.  C.  and  Catherine  Lambert.  Raised 
on  the  farm,  and  educated  in  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  and  entered  the  ministry 
in  1869. 

Married  to  Isabella  Hunsperger  in  1874.  Eight  children: 
Emma  C.  Barnes,  Cora  M.  Gumty,  William  H.,  David  Elmer, 
Clara  B.  Dooley,  Mabel  Dilley,  Jessie  Switzer,  Edith  Rand. 

Held  pastorates  in  Indiana,  Michigan,  and  Kansas. 

Served  as  Presiding  Elder  of  the  Indiana  and  Ohio  Con- 
ference, 1882-1883. 

Died  May  19,  1896. 
Lambert,  George — Born  in  Northampton  County,  Pa.,  May  11, 
1853.    Parents  were  D.  C.  and  Catherine  Lambert.    Raised  on 
the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twelve  years;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1878,  and  was  ordained  in  1881  by  the  Indiana  and  Ohio 
Conference. 

Married  in  1872  to  Amanda  Gehman.  Eight  children: 
Ella  (Mrs.  John  Ummel),  Edward,  Rose  (Mrs.  David  Mussel- 
man),  Emma  (Mrs.  Robert  Fansher),  Norah  (Mrs.  Oscar 
Sommer),  Ira,  Jessie  (Mrs.  Luther  Fansher),  Marie  (Mrs.  Roy 
W.    (Fries). 

Held  pastorates  in  Kent  County,  Mich.;  South  West, 
Wakarusa,  Bethel,  and  Jamestown,  in  the  Indiana  and  Ohio 
Conference. 

Lambert,  Sidenham — Born  in  Northampton  County,  Pa.,  Janu- 
ary 17,  1855.  Parents  were  D.  C.  and  Catherine  Lambert. 
Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school. 

251 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  fifteen;  entered  the  ministry  in 
1873,  and  was  ordained  in  1876. 

Married  to  Emma  J.  Hossler  in  1876,  deceased  in  1903; 
to  Mrs.  Amanda  Long  in  1905,  deceased  in  1914;  after  her 
death,  to  Mrs.  Anna  Flatter,  in  1915.  Eight  children:  Fannie 
(Mrs.  Lawrence  Ditmer),  Elizabeth  (Mrs.  J.  A.  Huffman), 
Vernon,  Minnie  (Mrs.  Noel  Johnson),  Anna  (Mrs.  Shirl  Hat- 
field), Bertha,  Naomi  (Mrs.  Roy  Riffle),  and  Ruby  (deceased). 
All  children  by  first  marriage  except  the  last  named  (deceased) 
by  second  marriage. 

Held  pastorates  at  Fleetwood,  Pa.;  Bethel,  Ind.;  George- 
town and  Phillipsburg,  Ohio,  and  Beech  Grove,  Ohio. 

Served  as  Presiding  Elder  in  the  Indiana  and  Ohio  Con- 
ference for  a  number  of  years ;  President  of  the  General  Confer- 
ence Executive  Board  eight  years;  Treasurer  of  the  Indiana 
and  Ohio  Conference  six  years;  member  of  the  General  Con- 
ference for  many  years  and  chairman  in  1900. 

Lambert,  William — Born  in  Huntington  County,  Ind.,  in  1879. 
Parents  were  John  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  Jane  (Morrison) 
Lambert.  Raised  on  the  farm;  received  a  common  school 
education,  and  later  took  a  teacher's  course  in  vocal  music  at 
Campbell  College,  Holton,  Kan. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  seven  years;  entered  the  ministry 
in  the  United  Brethren  Church  in  1909,  and  ordained  in  the 
M.  B.  C.  Church  in  1914  by  the  Nebraska  Conference. 

Married  to  Ina  E.  Overmiller  on  July  18,  1904.  Four 
children:  Lorem  Emsley  (deceased),  Esther  Pauline,  John 
Wilmer,  Willis  James. 

Held  pastorates  at  Logan  and  Narka,  Kan.,  under  the 
United  Brethren  Church,  and  at  Weeping  Water,  Neb.;  Harper, 
Kan.,  and  Jett,  Okla.,  under  the  Nebraska  Conference  of  the 
M.  B.  C.  Church. 

Layne,  James  B. — Was  born  in  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  April  2,  1894. 
Parents  were  William  and  Annie  Layne. 

Was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Philadelphia  and 
learned  the  printing  trade. 

Converted  February  12,  1911;  Entered  Gospel  Herald  So- 
ciety work  as  a  Home  Missionary  in  1913.  Labored  at  Lebanon, 
and  Sunbury,  Pa.  Entered  the  ministry  in  1917,  and  was  or- 
dained in  1919  by  the  Pennsylvania  Conference. 

Was  married  on  November  7,  1918,  to  Fannie  E.  Minnich. 

Pastorates  held:  Sunbury,  and  Easton,  Pennsylvania. 
252 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

Lehman,  Flavius  J. — Born  in  Markham  Township,  Ontario,  on 
September  30,  1872.  Parents  were  Joseph  B.  and  Fanny  Jane 
(Steckley)  Lehman.  Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the 
common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  thirteen.  Entered  the  ministry 
in  1906  and  was  ordained  in  1911  by  the  Ontario  Conference. 

Married  to  Margaret  Byer  on  September  22,  1896.  Seven 
children:  Elmer  R.,  Arthur  P.,  Nelson  E.,  Carl  R.,  Ruth  V., 
Cora  N.,  Grace  M. 

Held  pastorates  at  Shrigley,  Breslau,  Elmwood,  and  Vine- 
land,  Ontario. 

Lehman,  Lewis  J. — Born  at  Cullom,  Livingston  County,  111., 
August  1,  1871.  Parents  were  John  K.  and  Susan  (Alspaugh) 
Lehman.    Received  a  common  school  education. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  nineteen;  entered  the  ministry  in 
1897  in  the  Old  Mennonite  Church,  and  was  ordained  in  1899. 
Received  by  the  M.  B.  C.  Church  and  ordination  accepted  in 
1912. 

Married  to  Lydia  C.  Huber  on  February  9,  1905.  (Second 
marriage.)  Seven  children:  Milton  S.,  Edna  B.,  Amy  E., 
Esther  M.,  Luella  S.,  Ray  L.,  and  Samuel  Huber,  the  first  four 
named  being  of  the  first  marriage. 

Held  pastorates  at  Jackson,  Minn.;  Cullom,  111.;  Lima, 
Ohio,  and  Goshen,  Ind. 

Served  as  Conference  Secretary  a  number  of  years,  and  as 
member  and  secretary  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Bluffton 
College  and  Mennonite  Seminaiy. 

Longenecker,  Samuel — Born  at  Englewood,  Montgomery  County, 
Ohio,  March  20,  1840.  Parents  were  David  and  Elizabeth 
(Razor)  Longenecker.  Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the 
common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-one;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1877,  and  was  ordained  in  1879  in  the  Brethren  in  Christ 
Church. 

Married  to  Salome  Brandenburg  on  October  16,  1870. 
Two  children:    Edgar  (deceased)  and  Vianna. 

Held  pastorates  at  Calvary,  Ft.  Jefferson,  Lightsville, 
Beech  Grove,  Georgetown  and  Phillipsburg,  Swanktown  and 
Englewood,  Union  Chapel  and  Stringtown,  Morrow,  Oregonia, 
and  Blanchester,  Fairview,  Springfield  and  Pleasant  Grove, 
Ohio;  Western  Pennsylvania;  Caledonia,  Zion,  and  Pleasant 
Hill,  Mich.;  Wakarusa,  South  West  and  Nappanee,  Ind. 

253 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Mast,  Elmer  David — Born  in  Lagrange  County,  Ind.,  December 
18,  1880.  Parents  were  Jacob  and  Ellen  R.  (Plank)  Mast- 
Raised  on  the  farm  and  received  a  common  school  education. 
Attended  one  year  high  school  and  one  year  at  Elkhart  Insti- 
tute (Goshen  College). 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-two;  entered  the  ministry 
hi  1910,  and  was  ordained  in  1915. 

Married  to  Alice  Plank  on  December  24,  1901,  and  after 
her  death  to  Ruth  H.  Lutz,  on  January  1,  1915.  One  child: 
Naomi  Ellen. 

Held  pastorates  at  Chapel  Hill,  Mich.;  Mishawaka,  Elk- 
hart, and  Bethel,  Ind.;  New  Carlisle  and  West  Charleston, 
Ohio;  Georgetown  and  Phillipsburg,  Ohio. 

Served  as  Vice-Presiding  Elder  of  the  Indiana  and  Ohio 
Conference  (1918-20,)  and  was  a  member  of  the  Ninth  and 
Tenth  General  Conferences. 

McDannel,  Elias — Born  in  Stark  County,  Ohio,  May  2,  1826. 
Parents  were  David  and  Saloma  (Shook)  McDannel. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years;  entered  the  min- 
istry in  1877  in  the  United  Brethren  Church,  and  was  ordained 
in  1880.    United  with  the  M.  B.  C.  Church  in  1890. 

Married  to  Sara  Rupp  on  May  25,  1847,  and  after  her 
death,  to  Amanda  Cassel  on  August  21,  1889.  Ten  children: 
Mary,  Kate  (deceased),  Albina,  Josephine  (deceased),  Helen, 
Lilly,  Clara,  Ida,  Nora,  Muriel,  all  except  the  last  named  being 
of  the  first  marriage. 

Held  pastorates  at  Wakarusa,  Zion,  North  Union,  West 
Union,  Western  Pennsylvania  circuit. 

Died  December  18,  1902. 

McNally,  John — Born  in  Berks  County,  Pa.,  on  March  7,  1822. 
Parents  were  William  Henry  and  Sarah  (Kinsel)  McNally. 

The  date  of  his  conversion  is  not  known,  but  he  was 
appointed  a  minister  in  the  New  Mennonite  Church  in  1852. 
He  soon  became  prominent,  and  was  a  representative  at  the 
union  conference  in  1875. 

Married  to  Mary  Ann  Shoemaker  in  1844.  Eleven  chil- 
dren: Angus,  Jacob,  Gertrude,  Isaac,  William,  Sarah,  Elisa- 
beth, John,  Priscilla,  Elmina,  and  Minnie. 

Held*  pastorates  at  Blair,  Hespeler,  Breslau,  Bloomingdale, 
West  Montrose,  Conestoga,  St.  Jacobs,  Kitchener,  Roseville, 
Bright,  and  Bethel,  Ontario. 

Died  July  11,  1913. 

254 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

Metcilf ,  Edwin  Homer — Bom  in  Smith  County,  Kansas,  in  1888. 
Parents  were  John  E.  and  Cyntha  Metcilf.  Raised  on  the  farm 
and  attended  the  common  school;  also  (wo  terms  of  Bible  School 
at  Bellingham,  Wash. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  eleven;  entered  the  ministry  in 
1915,  and  was  ordained  in  1919  by  the  Pacific  Conference. 

Married  to  Pearl  Lowry  on  March  10,  1915.  One  child: 
Grace  Erma. 

Held  pastorates  at  Birch  Bay,  Wenas,  Wash,  and  Culver, 
Ore. 

Metzger,  Harvey  M. — Born  at  New  Carlisle,  Ohio,  March  15, 
1879.  Parents  were  Andrew  and  Mary  Metzger.  Raised  on  the 
farm  and  educated  in  the  common  and  high  schools. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty:  entered  the  ministry  in 
1902,  and  was  ordained  in  1905. 

Married  to  Anna  R.  McAfee  on  May  25,  1902.  Eight 
children:  Glenna  Mae,  Walter  Kenneth,  Ora  Maxwell,  Daisy 
Marie,  Ra}'  Owen,  Bernice  La  Verne,  Harvey  Monroe  jr., 
Mary  Jane. 

Held  pastorates  at  Harriet,  Beech  Grove,  Ohio;  Western 
Pennsylvania;  Pleasant  Hill,  Mich.;  Elkhart,  Bethel,  Ind.; 
Springfield  and  Pleasant  Grove,  Ohio. 

Served  as  Superintendent  of  Church  Extension  work  and 
Conference  Secretary. 

Miller,  A.  A.— Born  in  Falls  Mills,  Ohio,  February  27,  1850. 
Parents  were  Abraham  A.  and  Ruth  Ann  (Nelson)  Miller. 
Received  a  common  school  education. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-three  years;  entered  the 
ministry  in  1874,  and  was  ordained  in  1876  by  the  Brethren  in 
Christ. 

Married  to  Lydia  Beery  in  1871,  and  after  her  death  to 
Katie  Hygema,  on  July  5,  1895.  Five  children :  Ella,  Earl,  Birt, 
Sadie,  and  Ruth  May,  the  last  named  being  by  the  second 
marriage. 

Held  pastorates  at  Shambaugh  and  Newmarket,  Iowa. 

Served  as  Evangelist  for  several  years,  and  as  Presiding 
Elder  in  the  Nebraska  Conference  one  year. 

Moore,  Clarence  Tiffen — Born  near  Decatur,  Ind.,  February  18, 
1887.  Parents  were  Marion  John  and  Emily  (Howard)  Moore. 
Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school;  later 
spent  six  months  at  Goshen  College. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-three;  entered  the  min- 
istry in  1906,  and  was  ordained  in  1912. 
255 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Married  to  Jennie  R.  Koofer  on  May  31,  1911.  Four 
children:  Lawrence  Augustes,  Marion  Emerson  (deceased), 
Norman  Lowell,  and  Esther  Marie. 

Held  pastorates  at  Oregonia  and  Blanchester,  Beech  and 
Greenville,  New  Carlisle,  Ohio,  in  the  Indiana  and  Ohio  Con- 
ference. 

Moore,  Isaac  P. — Born  near  Bremen,  Fairfield  County,  Ohio, 
November  11,  1875.  Parents  were  M.  J.  and  Emily  (Howard) 
Moore.    Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  fifteen;  entered  the  ministry  in 
1899,  and  was  ordained  in  1900. 

Married  to  Jessie  E.  Rinehart  on  August  19,  1900.  Four 
children:    Gregg  R.,  Arthur  F.,  Glenn  L.,  Mary  Opal. 

Held  pastorates  at  Nappanee,  Wakarusa,  and  Elkhart,  Ind. 

Served  as  Superintendent  of  church  extension  work,  evan- 
gelist, city  mission  superintendent. 

Moore,  Jesse  Irvin — Born  near  Lima,  Ohio,  January  17,  1883. 
Parents  were  M.  J.  and  Emily  (Howard)  Moore.  Raised  on 
the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twelve  years;  entered  the  min- 
istry, and  was  ordained  in  1912. 

Married  to  Mattie  D.  Spade  on  April  8,  1904.  Nine  chil- 
dren: Ruth  Jeanette,  Elizabeth  Helen,  Marion  Leonard,  Doris 
Marie,  Robert  Kenneth,  Jesse  Carlan,  Pauline  Emily,  Dale 
Bennet,  and  Ray  Howard. 

Held  pastorates  at  Nappanee  and  Oak  Grove,  Ind.;  Pots- 
dam and  Phillipsburg,  Ohio;  and  Pleasant  Hill,  Mich.,  in  the 
Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference. 

Moore,  William  Harvey — Born  near  Logan,  Hocking  County, 
Ohio.  Parents  were  M.  J.  and  Emily  (Howard)  Moore.  Raised 
on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1900,  and  was  ordained  in  1901  in  the  Brethren  in  Christ 
Church  (Wenger).    United  with  the  M.  B.  C.  Church  in  1902. 

Married  to  Wealthy  E.  Good  on  November  11,  1896. 
Two  children:   Alpha  Beryl  (deceased)  and  Clarence  Cecil. 

Held  pastorates  at  West  Union,  Goshen,  and  Wakarusa, 
Ind.;  New  Carlisle  and  Georgetown,  Ohio;  and  Bronson,  Mich., 
under  the  Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference. 

Served  as  Presiding  Elder  of  the  Indiana  and  Ohio  Con- 
ference since  1917. 

256 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

Morgan,  John  W. — Born  in  Green  County,  Iowa,  February  28, 
1867.  His  parents  died  when  he  was  but  four  years  of  age;  at- 
tended the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1896,  being  ordained  soon  after  by  the  Nebraska  Conference. 

Married  to  Rose  Cathrop  in  1888.  Two  children:  Ger- 
trude E.  and  Noah  W. 

Held  pastorates  at  five  different  places  in  Nebraska,  during 
a  period  of  fourteen  years,  moving  then  to  California  where  he 
was  instrumental  in  building  two  churches. 

Also  served  as  Presiding  Elder  for  four  years. 

Died  suddenly  on  September  7,  1920,  at  Lancaster,  Calif. 

Morgan,  Raymond  G. — Born  near  Bancroft,  Shiawassee  County, 
Mich.,  May  6,  1891.  Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the 
common  school;  later  took  a  commercial  course  at  Ferris  In- 
stitute, Big  Rapids,  Mich. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twelve  years;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1915,  and  was  ordained  in  1920. 

Married  to  Emma  Jausi  on  June  6,  1917.  Two  children: 
Athelene  Verdella  and  Veriin  Raymond. 

Held  pastorates  at  Bad  Axe  and  Williamsburg,  Mich. 

Moyer,  Elmer — Born  at  Vineland,  Lincoln  County,  Ontario,  June 
9,  1889.  Father  was  Christian  G.  Moyer.  Received  a  common 
school  education,  and  later  took  a  commercial  course  in  Toronto 
Business  College  and  attended  the  Toronto  Bible  College. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  sixteen;  entered  the  ministry  in 
1917.    Was  ordained  in  1920. 

Married  to  Mary  Elizabeth  Learn  on  September  15,  1915. 
One  child:    Harold  Elmer. 

Held  pastorate  at  Aylmer,  Ontario. 

Musselman,  Baird  Bryan — Was  born  at  Allentown,  Pa.,  October, 
1890.    Parents  were  H.  B.  and  Annie  (Baus)  Musselman. 

Was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Pennsylvania,  in- 
cluding high  school. 

Converted  in  1896;  entered  the  ministry  in  1913,  and  was 
ordained  in  1916  by  the  Pennsylvania  Conference. 

Was  married  to  Cora  B.  Rothermel  on  December  7,  1911. 
One  child:  Oliva  Pauline. 

Pastorates:  Fleetwood,  Blandon  and  Terra  Hill  circuit, 
Reading,  and  Allentown,  in  the  Pennsylvania  Conference. 

Musselman,  Harvey  B. — Born  at  Dillinger,  Lehigh  County,  Pa., 
February  11,  1868.    Parents  were  Eld.  Jonas  and  Lucy  (Brun- 
17  257 


MENNONITE   BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

ner)  Musselman.  Raised  on  the  farm  and  worked  at  the  print- 
ing trade  for  nine  years. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  fourteen;  entered  the  ministry  in 

1890,  and  was  ordained  in  1893  by  the  Pennsylvania  Conference. 
Married  to  Annie  M.  Baus  on  April  23,  1888.    Three  chil- 
dren: B.  Bryan,  Clarence  E.,  and  Jansen  H. 

Held  pastorates  at  Royersford,  Spring  City,  Lehighton, 
Weissport,  Bethlehem,  Mt.  Carmel,  Pa. 

Served  as  Presiding  Elder  for  eighteen  years,  also  as  Presi- 
dent of  the  Orphanage  and  Home  Board,  and  of  the  Foreign 
Mission  and  Executive  Boards. 

Musselman,  William  Brunner — Was  born  near  Vera  Cruz,  Le- 
high County,  Pa.,  October  3,  1860.  Parents  were  Jonas  and 
Lucy  Musselman.  Was  raised  on  the  farm  and  was  educated 
in  the  common  school. 

Was  converted  in  the  winter  of  1876;  began  preaching  in 
1883,  and  was  ordained  in  1886  by  the  Pennsylvania  Conference. 

Was  married  in  April  of  1879  to  Mary  A.  Oberholtzer. 
There  were  ten  children— five  boys:  P.  J.,  T.  T.,  J.  W.,  W.  D., 
E.  H;  and  five  girls:  L.  M.,  M.  L.,  S.  E.,  J.  N.,  and  M.  E. 

Held  pastorates  at  Reading,  Bethlehem,  and  Allentown,  Pa. 

Was  Presiding  Elder,  member  of  Executive  Board,  Presi- 
dent of  the  Gospel  Worker  Society,  and  member  of  all  the 
General  Conferences  since  1888. 

Myers,  Joseph  Kent — Born  near  Kensington,  Kan.,  August  25, 

1891.  Parents  were  O.  A.  and  Elida  Myers.  Raised  on  the 
farm  and  attended  the  common  school;  later  spent  one  year 
at  the  Holiness  Bible  School,  Hutchinson,  Kan. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years;  entered  the  min- 
istry in  1912,  and  was  ordained  in  1916. 

Married  to  Nanny  Patton  on  August  28,  1912.  One  child: 
Lois  Almeda. 

Held  pastorates  at  Osborne,  Kan.;  Bloomington,  Neb.; 
and  Flagler,  Colo. 

Overholt,  Timothy  James — Born  at  Elkhart,  Ind.,  October  4, 
1878.  Parents  were  Enos  and  Matilda  Overholt.  Raised  on 
the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years;  entered  the  min- 
istry in  1912,  and  was  ordained  in  1916. 

Married  to  Lulu  Beery  on  September  25,  1911. 
Held  pastorates  at  Harper,  Kan.;  Cambridge  and  Bloom- 
ington, Neb. 

258 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

Pannabecker,  Jacob  Nelson — Born  in  Wellington  County,  Ontario, 
November  6,  1866.  Parents  were  Samuel  and  Martha  (Cober) 
Pannabecker.  Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common 
school;  later  attended  the  Owen  Sound  Collegiate  Institute. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  ten  years;  entered  the  ministry  in 
1905,  and  was  ordained  in  1908. 

Married  to  Luna  May  Plowman  on  October  12,  1892. 
Five  children :  Charles  Lloyd,  Samuel  Floyd,  Karl  P.,  George 
P.  (deceased),  and  Ray  P. 

Held  pastorates  at  Clearwater,  Brown  City,  Elkton,  and 
Colfax,  Mich. 

Served  as  Conference  Secretary  for  twelve  years;  Confer- 
ence Treasurer,  Vice-Presiding  Elder,  Secretary-Treasurer  of 
Foreign  Mission  Board,  Secretary-Treasurer  of  City  Mission 
Board,  representative  of  Michigan  Conference  on  General 
Board,  member  of  Board  of  Trustees,  Bluffton  College  (1914- 
17),  member  of  two  General  Conferences. 

Payne,  Hezekiah  Newell — Born  in  Cowall  County,  Va.,  May  14, 
1880.    Parents  were  Noah  and  Augusta  Payne. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-four;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1907,  and  was  ordained  in  1910. 

Married  to  Annie  L.  Turner  on  September  23,  1906.  Two 
children:  Naomi  Dorcas  and  Anna  Ruth. 

Held  pastorates  at  Everett,  Outlook  and  Granger,  Wash.; 
Culver,  Oregon;  and  Fruitland  and  Payette,  Idaho. 

Also  served  as  Conference  Evangelist  and  Vice  Presiding 
Elder. 

*Peffley,  Aaron — Born  in  Harrison  Township,  Montgomery  County, 
Ohio,  June  8,  1840.  Parents  were  Jacob  and  Mary  (Hoch) 
Peffley.    Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years;  entered  the 
ministry  in  1871,  and  was  ordained  in  1873  in  the  Brethren  in 
Christ  Church. 

Married  to  Frances  Swank  on  August  31,  1860,  and  after 
her  death,  to  Verina  Jenkinson  on  April  2,  1890.  Ten  children : 
Josephus,  Laura,  Noah,  Keturah,  Saloma,  Lydia,  Talmage, 
DeWitt,  Dwight  Moody,  Stanley,  and  Paul,  the  four  latter  being 
of  the  second  marriage. 

Held  pastorates  at  Georgetown,  Pleasant  Grove  and  Harsh- 
man,  Harrisburg  and  Swanktown,  New  Carlisle,  Adams  Count}', 
Fairfield  County,  and  Darke  County,  in  the  Indiana  and  Ohio 
Conference. 

Served  also  as  Evangelist. 
259 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Persell,  Joseph  Allen — Born  in  Boone  County,  Ind.,  April  2,  1861. 
Parents  were  William  D.  and  Mary  J.  (Doddson)  Persell. 
Raised  on  the  farm  and  educated  in  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-six;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1897,  and  was  ordained  in  1900. 

Married  to  Hannah  J.  Wilson  on  November  29,  1901. 
Four  children:    Naomi,  Orpha,  Ruth,  Rhoda. 

Held  pastorates  for  six  years;  served  as  evangelist,  and  as 
overseer  of  the  Pacific  Conference  for  one  year  before  its  organ- 
ization. 
Pontius,  Homer  J. — Born  in  Elkhart  County,  Ind.,  January  10, 
1868.  Parents  were  Henry  and  Mary  C.  M.  (Bly)  Pontius. 
Raised  on  the  farm  and  educated  in  the  common  schools. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  thirteen,  entered  the  ministry  in 
in  1893,  and  was  ordained  in  1896  by  the  Indiana  and  Ohio 
Conference. 

Married  to  Lodie  Scott  on  February  13,  1892.  Nine  chil- 
dren: Myrtle,  Orville  (deceased),  Ella,  Esther,  Naomi,  Mary, 
Ruth,  Lola,  and  Celeste. 

Held  pastorates  at  Frontier  County  and  Moline,  Neb.; 
Shambaugh  and  New  Market,  Iowa;  Reamsville  and  Harper, 
Kan.;  Mt.  View,  Ferndale,  and  Yakima,  Wash.;  and  Culver, 
Ore. 

Served  as  Evangelist  ten  years  and  Presiding  Elder  for 
four  years  in  the  Pacific  Conference. 

Pontius,  Silas  Henry — Born  near  Elkhart,  Ind.,  May  4,  1865. 
Parents  were  Henry  and  Mary  C.  M.  (Bly)  Pontius.  Raised 
on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty  years.  Entered  the  min- 
istry in  1889  and  ordained  in  1891. 

Married  to  Anna  R.  Pierson  on  September  1,  1894.  Five 
children:  Marvin  H.,  Loverne  I.,  Orval  W.,  Hewlette  A.,  and 
Ruth  E. 

Held  various  pastorates  with  the  Evangelical  Association 
for  five  years;  transferred  to  the  Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference 
of  the  M.  B.  C.  Church,  serving  at  Pleasant  Hill,  Mich.;  West 
Union,  Ind.;  Peabody  and  Hesston,  and  Reamsville,  Kan. 

Also  served  as  Evangelist  for  one  year. 

Raymer,  Abraham — Born  in  Markham  Township,  York  County, 
Ontario,  September  14,  1814.  Parents  were  John  and  Esther 
(Hoover)  Raymer.  Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  com- 
mon school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  thirty-one. 

260 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

Married  to  Elizabeth  Byer  on  March  17,  1840.  Nine 
children:  Nancy,  Susan,  Francis,  Simeon,  Daniel,  Esther,  Anna, 
Elizabeth,  Abram. 

Preached  locally,  and  traveled  through  western  Ontario 
for  about  thirty  years. 

Died  February  13,  1891. 

Raymer,  Christian — Born  near  Dixon's  Hill,  Markham  Township, 
Ontario,  November  1,  1853.  Parents  were  Peter  and  Mary 
(Hoover)  Raymer.  Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  com- 
mon school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years.  Entered  the  min- 
istry in  1880,  and  was  ordained  in  1891  by  the  Ontario  Confer- 
ence. 

Married  to  Christina  Stouffer  on  February  24,  1885.  Four 
children:  Three  daughters — Ruth,  Elmina,  and  Bertie,  and 
one  son  (deceased). 

Held  pastorates  at  Scott,  Sunnidale,  Vineland,  Kitchener, 
Stayner,  Bethel,  Maryboro,  Hespeler,  Toronto,  and  Aylmer. 

Raymer,  Joseph — Born  in  Markham,  Ontario,  April  6,  1833. 
Parents  were  John  and  Esther  Raymer.  Received  a  common 
school  education. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-four.  Entered  the  min- 
istry in  1858,  and  was  ordained  in  1878. 

Married  to  Mary  Wideman  on  December  7,  1858.  Five 
children:  Daniel  W.,  Elizabeth  W.,  Emma  W..  Sara  W.,  Wes- 
ley W. 

Held  pastorate  at  Markham,  Ontario. 

Died  July  29,  1879. 

Raymer,  Lewis  Peter — Born  in  Markham  Township,  York  County, 
Ontario,  March  12,  1877.  Parents  were  Isaac  Peter  and  Sarah 
Ellen  (McKay)  Raymer.  Attended  the  common  school  and 
high  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years ;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1906,  being  ordained  in  1910  by  the  Ontario  Conference. 

Married  to  Nellie  May  Robson,  December  25,  1902.  Three 
children:  Pearl  Irene,  Percy  Isaac,  and  Efne  Agnes. 

Held  pastorates  at  Scott,  Vineland,  Elmwood,  Breslau  and 
Aylmer,  Ont. 

Also  served  as  Conference  Evangelist  and  Secretary. 

*Reck,   David — Born  in  Alsace,  Germany,   1869.     Parents  were 
David  and  Mary  (Schlaubauch)  Reck.     Raised  on  the  farm 
and  educated  in  the  common  school. 
261 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Converted  when  a  young  man  and  entered  the  ministry 
in  1898;  was  ordained  in  1901. 

Married  to  Cordelia  Bukler.  Seven  children:  Lorena, 
Myrtle,  Mahlon,  David,  Lena,  Clarence,  Ruth. 

Held  pastorate  at  Giltner,  Neb. 

United  with  Free  Methodist  Church  in  1902. 

Redfern,  Joseph  Wilmer — Born  in  Christian  County,  111.,  August 
10,  1858.  Raised  on  a  cattle  ranch;  received  a  common  school 
education. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-nine  years;  entered  the 
ministry  in  1905,  and  was  ordained  in  1908. 

Married  to  Nancy  Easton  on  December  21,  1885.  Two 
children:    Milton  O.  and  Daniel  O. 

Held  pastorates  at  Osborne,  Kan.,  and  Hinton,  Okla. 

Served  as  Evangelist. 

Died  July  6,  1919. 

Reinhart,  V.  H— Was  born  in  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  August  10, 1885. 
Parents  were  William  and  Elizabeth  Reinhart. 

Was  educated  in  the  common  school. 

Was  converted  in  September,  1903;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1904,  at  Washington,  N.  J.  Was  ordained  in  1909  by  the 
Pennsylvania  Conference. 

Married  Mary  A.  Fehnel  on  December  31,  1908.  Four 
children:  Luella  M.,  Iva  F.,  Wilbur  H.,  Lester  H. 

Labored  under  the  Gospel  Herald  Society  at  Northampton 
and  Walnutport;  also  pastor  at  Sunbury,  Pa. 

Rich,  Nicholas  W. — Born  at  Wayland,  Henry  County,  Iowa, 
September  18,  1867.  Parents  were  Joseph  and  Mary  (Wenger) 
Rich.     Received  a  common  school  education. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-six;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1897  and  was  ordained  in  1900  by  the  Nebraska  Conference. 

Married  to  Ada  A.  McConnell  on  September  27,  1891. 
Six  children:  Ross  A.,  Hazel  G.,  Ray  W.,  Helen  A,,  Ruth  M., 
and  Kenneth  F.  (deceased). 

Held  pastorates  at  Reamsville,  Kan.;  La  Junta,  Colo.; 
Bloomington,  Milford,  Weeping  Water,  Neb. 

Served  as  Presiding  Elder  for  seven  years,  and  Conference 
Evangelist  for  four  years. 

Roth,  John  C. — Born  at  Leesport,  Berks  County,  Pa.,  July  14, 
1876.  Parents  were  Marcellus  and  Helen  S.  Roth.  Attended 
the  common  school. 

262 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

Converted  when  a  young  boy;  entered  the  ministry  in  1900, 
and  was  ordained  in  1903  by  the  Pennsylvania  Conference. 

Married  to  Mary  Esther  Gamier  on  March  5,  1896.  Two 
children:  Olive  Clair  and  Erma  Myrtle. 

Held  pastorates  at  Hatfield  and  Quakertown,  Allentown, 
Reading,  Bethlehem,  Spring  City  and  Royersford,  Lehighton, 
Emaus  and  Macungie,  Pa. 

*Rudy,  Frederick  Calvin — Born  near  Greenville,  Ohio,  August  9> 
1873.  Parents  were  John  and  Mary  (Seman)  Rudy.  Received 
a  common  school  education. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-one;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1896,  and  was  ordained  in  1899. 

Married  to  Rosa  May  Hart.  Nine  children:  Lloyd  C, 
Roy  L.,  Paul  H.,  Mary  E.,  Melvin  E.,  Mark  D.,  Ray  W.,  Glen 
D.,  and  Wane  E. 

Held  pastorates  at  Frontier  County,  Neb.;  Greenville, 
Ohio;  Elkhart,  Nappanee,  Ind.;  Berlamont,  Carverville,  Bad 
Axe,  Mich.;  Holbrook,  Colo. 

Schroeder,  William — Bom  in  Brant  Township,  Bruce  County, 
Ontario,  August  21,  1859.  Parents  were  Gotlab  and  Louise 
Schroeder.  Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common 
school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twelve  years;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1885,  and  was  ordained  in  1889. 

Married  to  Mrs.  Catherine  Leaske  in  1881.  Six  children: 
Herman,  Lucile,  Moses,  Miriam,  Frank,  and  Anna. 

Held  pastorates  at  Manitoulin  Island,  Scott,  Ontario;  Cass 
River,  Petoskey,  Epsilon,  Coleman,  Mich.,  in  the  Ontario  and 
Michigan  Conferences. 

Served  as  Evangelist  for  several  years. 

Schultz,  Daniel — Born  in  Wilmot  Township,  Waterloo  County, 
Ontario,  in  1871.  Parents  were  Joseph  and  Veronica  (Litt- 
willer)  Schultz.  Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common 
school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years;  entered  the  min- 
istry in  1894  in  the  Ontario  Conference;  ordained  in  1897  and 
transferred  to  the  Michigan  Conference. 

Married  to  Lydiann  Hallman  on  October  10,  1893.  Four 
children:  Harvey  Abram,  Wesley  Earl,  Stanley  Joseph,  and 
John  Irvin. 

Held  pastorates  at  Wetzell,  Caledonia,  Huron  County, 
Brown  City,  Port  Huron,  Greenwood,  Beulah,  and  Shiloh. 

Served  as  Conference  Evangelist  for  twelve  years. 
263 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Schwalm,  Nicholas  Hilton— Bom  in  Bruce  County,  Ontario,  at 
Chippewa  Hill,  July  28,  1878.  Parents  were  George  and  Mary 
(Spurrell)  Schwalm.    Received  a  common  school  education. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-six;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1906,  and  was  ordained  in  1912. 

Married  to  Flora  Belle  Gilders  on  November  29,  1905.  Four 
children:  Flora  Irene,  George  Emerson,  Mansell  Hilton,  and 
Carmon  Thorold. 

Held  pastorates  at  Port  Elgin,  Shrigley,  and  Bethel, 
Ontario. 

*Scofield,  Volla  A. — Born  near  Stevensville,  Mich.,  September  15, 
1872.  Parents  were  J.  H.  and  Nellie  Scofield.  Raised  on  the 
farm  and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years;  entered  the 
ministry  in  the  M.  B.  C.  Church  in  1905,  having  worked  with 
the  Salvation  Army  for  eleven  years  previous;  ordained  in  1908. 

Married  to  Anna  A.  Moyer  on  September  16,  1897.  Three 
children  living:    Orval  V.,  Helen  M.,  and  Alice. 

Held  pastorates  at  Trenton,  Iowa;  Reamsville,  Kan.; 
Cambridge,  Bloomington,  Weeping  Water,  and  Milford,  Neb. 

Served  also  as  Evangelist. 

Scott,  Clifford  I.— Born  at  Emporia,  Kan.,  October  19,  1871. 
Parents  were  Isaiah  and  Harriet  M.  Scott.  Raised  on  the 
farm;  attended  the  common  school  and  the  State  Normal  at 
Emporia,  Kan. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty  years;  entered  the  min- 
istry in  1897,  and  was  ordained  in  1901  in  the  Indiana  and 
Ohio  Conference.  Transferred  to  the  Nebraska  Conference  in 
1908. 

Married  to  Olive  B.  Shelly  on  November  10,  1896.  Nine 
children:  Phoebe,  John,  Paul,  Joseph,  Seth,  Mary,  Philip, 
Jesse,  Mark;  Paul  and  Mark  being  deceased. 

Held  pastorates  at  South  Bend  Mission,  LaFayette  Mis- 
sion, Nappanee,  Elkhart,  Wakarusa,  Ind.;  Dayton  Mission, 
Georgetown,  Ohio;  Holbrook,  Colo.;  Shambaugh,  Iowa;  and 
Milford,  Neb. 

Served  as  Presiding  Elder  of  the  Indiana  and  Ohio  Con- 
ference two  years,  and  of  the  Nebraska  Conference  five  years; 
member  of  General  Conference  in  1912  and  1916,  and  chairman 
in  1916;  Secretary  of  Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference  and  of  Ne- 
braska Conference. 

Shantz,  David  Stauffer — Born  in  Haysville,  Waterloo  County, 
Ontario,  May  13,  1854.    Parents  were  Joseph  Y.  and  Elizabeth 
264 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

(Stauffer)  Shantz.     Raised  on  the  farm  and  educated  in  the 
common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  thirty  years;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1887,  and  was  ordained  in  1890. 

Married  to  Susannah  Elizabeth  Erb  on  September  25, 
1877.  Nine  children:  Melancthon,  Louisa  Sybilla,  Hannah 
Genevieve,  Lewellyn,  Phoebe  May,  Ida  Elizabeth,  Ross,  Wil- 
fred, and  Lulu  Verdella. 

Held  pastorates  at  Vineland,  Stayner,  Markham,  Ontario; 
and  Caledonia  and  Grand  Rapids,  Mich.;  also  served  as  an 
Evangelist. 

Served  as  Presiding  Elder  of  the  Canadian  Northwest 
Conference  two  years;  delegate  to  the  General  Conference  in 
1892. 
Shantz,  Sidney  Shupe — Born  near  New  Dundee,  Ont.,  on  Sep- 
tember 23,  1884.  Parents  were  Christian  and  Magdalena 
(Shupe)  Shantz.  Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common 
school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  seven  years;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1907,  and  was  ordained  in  1911  by  the  Ontario  Conference. 

Married  to  Susan  Weber  on  December  28,  1910.  One  child : 
Ross  Wilton  (deceased). 

Held  pastorates  at  Scott,  Stayner,  Sunnidale  and  Owen 
Sound,  Ont. 

Took  up  Foreign  Mission  work  in  1915,  being  stationed  at 
Jebba,  North  Nigeria,  West  Africa.  In  1919  opened  a  new 
station  at  Share. 
Shantz,  William  Albert — Born  in  Mannheim,  Waterloo  County, 
Ont.,  July  8,  1866.  Parents  were  Enoch  D.  and  Catherine 
(Ruthig)  Shantz.  Received  a  common  school  education  and 
spent  a  year  in  Business  College,  later  attended  the  C.  M.  A. 
Training  Institute  in  Nyack,  New  York,  for  three  years. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  and  accepted  as 
a  candidate  for  the  foreign  mission  field  by  the  Christian  and 
Missionary  Alliance  in  1895.  Financial  support  was  pledged 
by  the  Ontario  Conference,  making  him  the  first  missionary 
officially  recognized  by  the  church.  Ordained  in  1906  by  the 
Ontario  Conference. 

Married  to  Mary  D.  Davidson  on  December  24,  1901,  at 
Wuhu,  China.  Four  children:  Elva  May,  Howard  Davidson, 
Ruth  Althea  (deceased),  and  Mary  Katherine. 

Worked  on  the  following  mission  fields  in  China,  Fao  Chow 
on  the  Tibetan  border,  Kan  Suh  province;  Siang  Fan,  Hunan 
province;  Wuchang,  Hupeh  province;  Wuhu,  and  Tatong  in 
Anhwei  province.  265 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Sherk,  Benjamin  Andrew — Born  in  Caledonia,  Kent  County, 
Mich.,  February  4,  1878.  Parents  were  Aaron  G.  and  Magda- 
lena  (Keller)  Sherk.  Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the 
common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years;  entered  the  min- 
istry in  1899,  and  was  ordained  in  1902. 

Married  to  Olive  Sherk  on  April  10,  1901.  Four  children: 
Hubert  Calvin,  John  Lawrence,  Catherine  Ruth,  and  Helene 
Margaret. 

Held  pastorates  at  Bliss,  Elkton,  Greenwood,  Petoskey, 
Cass  River,  Mich. 

Served  as  Vice-Presiding  Elder,  Secretary  of  Michigan 
Conference,  member  of  Foreign  Mission  Board,  member  of 
General  Conference,  member  of  Board  of  Trustees  of  Bluffton 
College,  and  Associate  Editor  of  the  Gospel  Banner.  Presiding 
Elder  1920- 

Sherk,  Ira  W. — Born  at  Labarge,  Kent  County,  Mich.,  January 
22,  1886.  Parents  were  Aaron  G.  and  Magdalene  (Keller) 
Sherk.  Received  a  common  school  education,  and  later  spent 
a  year  at  Livingstone  College  in  London,  England,  taking  a 
special  medical  course  for  missionaries. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years;  entered  the  min- 
istry in  1906,  and  was  ordained  in  1917. 

Married  to  Edith  M.  Evans  on  January  8,  1918. 

Went  to  Africa  as  a  missionary  in  1907,  and  was  placed 
in  charge  of  mission  stations  at  Shonga,  Mokwa,  and  Share, 
Nigeria. 

Sherk,  Samuel — Born  near  Breslau,  Waterloo  County,  Ontario, 
November  3,  1822.  Parents  were  Samuel  and  Magdalene 
Sherk.    Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  thirty  years;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1860,  and  was  ordained  in  1870  by  the  New  Mennonites. 

Married  to  Sarah  Ann  Schiedel  on  February  29,  1848. 
Five  children:  Menno  S.,  John  S.,  Noah,  Lydia  Ann,  and 
Samuel  Wesley. 

In  1860  he  emigrated  to  Michigan.  In  1874  he  united 
with  the  Indiana  Conference  of  the  Reformed  Mennonites 
(later  M.  B.  C),  of  which  he  remained  a  member  till  1896, 
when  Michigan  became  a  separate  Conference. 

Served  as  Presiding  Elder  of  the  Indiana  Conference  for 
six  terms,  and  traveled  in  a  number  of  states  in  connection 
with  his  work. 

Died  January  16,  1900. 

266 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

Shinn,  George  Milton — Bom  in  Lake  Township,  Berrien  County, 
Mich.,  April  13,  1882.  Parents  were  Oliver  and  Ara  M.  Shinn. 
Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school;  later 
attended  one  term  of  Bible  school  at  Elkhart,  Ind. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years;  entered  the  min- 
istry in  1905,  and  was  ordained  in  1909. 

Married  to  Eva  Williams  on  March  29,  1910.  Three  chil- 
dren:   Wilber,  Edith,  and  Charles. 

Held  pastorates  at  Wheatland,  Epsilon,  Cass  River,  and 
Wetzell,  Mich. 

Shireman,  J.  G. — Was  born  at  Saylorsburg,  Monroe  County, 
Pa.,  February  20,  1870.  Parents  were  Dr.  H.  L.  and  Ellen  L. 
(Jones)   Shireman. 

Educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Nazareth,  Pa.,  and  Mil- 
grove  Academy,  also  studied  medicine  three  years.  Was  con- 
verted in  November,  1894,  and  was  called  to  the  ministry. 
Was  licensed  to  preach  in  1898,  and  was  ordained  to  the  min- 
istry in  1901  by  the  Pennsylvaina  Conference. 

Was  married  on  May  12,  1888,  to  Sarah  L.  Edmonds.  Six 
children:  Eva,  Helen,  J.  G.  Jr.,  Paul  H.,  Marion  A.,  and  William 
F.  The  third  and  last  named  are  deceased.  Mrs.  Shireman 
died  October  13,  1918. 

Pastorates  held:  Reading,  Blandon,  Zionsville,  Macungie, 
Fleetwood  and  Blandon,  Royersford  and  Spring  City,  Mt. 
Carmel,  Philadelphia,  Easton,  Stroudsburg  and  Nazareth, 
in  the  Pennsylvania  Conference. 

Sider,  John  A. — Born  in  Humberton  Township,  Welland  County, 
Ontario,  September  16,  1857.  Parents  were  Abraham  and 
Anna  Sider.  Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common 
school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years;  entered  the  min- 
istry in  1884,  and  was  ordained  in  1888. 

Married  to  J.  Louisa  Sherk  on  September  24,  1878.  Six 
children:  Cora  M.,  Wilmer,  Robert,  Frank,  Grant,  and  Myrtle 
Grace. 

Held  pastorates  at  Stayner,  Sherkston,  Maryboro,  Shrig- 
ley,  Toronto,  Collingwood,  Bethel,  Scott,  Aylmer,  and  Stayner, 
Ontario. 

Sievenpiper,  Ephraim — Born  in  Dunn  Township,  Haldimand 
County,  Ontario,  January  29,  1870.  Parents  were  Jacob  and 
Margarette  Sievenpiper.  Raised  on  the  farm  and  educated  in 
the  common  school. 

267 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-two;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1895,  and  was  ordained  in  1899. 

Married  to  Sylvina  Honsberger  on  August  31,  1892.  Ten 
children,  eight  of  whom  are  living:  Frank,  Stanley,  Ruth  Mae, 
Harley,  Roy  Fletcher,  Ira  Regonald,  Florence  Eveline,  and 
Margarette. 

Held  pastorates  at  Kilsyth,  Breslau,  Elmwood,  Maryboro, 
Bethel,  Markham,  Stouffville,  and  Toronto,  Ontario. 

Served  as  Conference  Evangelist  and  Presiding  Elder  in 
the  Ontario  Conference. 

Sinden,  Charles  Isaac — Born  in  South  Norwich  Township,  Oxford 
County,  Ontario,  November  11,  1875.  Parents  were  Albert 
and  Philadelphia  (Aides)  Sinden.  Raised  on  the  farm  and 
attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty  years.  Entered  the  min- 
istry in  1903,  and  was  ordained  in  1908  by  the  Ontario  Con- 
ference. 

Married  to  Lina  Beatrice  Brothers  on  September  10,  1913. 
Two  children:   Annie  Marie  Adelphia  and  Muriel  Iverne. 

Held  pastorates  at  Maryboro  and  Wallace,  Stayner, 
Bethel,  Shrigley,  and  Bruce  Peninsula,  Ontario. 

Snyder,  Oliver  B. — Born  in  Kitchener,  Ontario,  April  12,  1863. 
Parents  were  David  B.  and  Elizabeth  (Bricker)  Schneider. 
Raised  on  the  farm;  attended  common  school,  high  school,  and 
business  college  at  Naperville,  111.,  and  Valparaiso,  Ind. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years;  entered  the 
ministry  in  1888  in  the  Ontario  Conference  and  was  ordained 
in  1891;  later  transferred  to  the  Michigan  Conference. 

Married  to  Mary  Meyer  on  August  9,  1890,  and  after  her 
death  to  Arnetta  Erb  on  August  12,  1918.  Three  children: 
Ruth,  Amos  (deceased),  Esther. 

Held  pastorates  at  Scott,  Ontario;  Greenwood,  Wetzell, 
Brown  City,  Elkton,  Port  Huron,  and  Pontiac,  Mich. 

Served  as  Presiding  Elder  for  fourteen  years;  member  of 
the  Executive  Committee,  member  of  the  United  Orphanage 
and  Mission  Board,  and  of  the  Foreign  Mission  Board  of  the 
Michigan  Conference. 

Starkey,  James  Bluford — Born  in  Smith  County,  Kansas,  July 
15,  1885.  Parents  were  J.  B.  and  N.  D.  Starkey.  Attended  the 
common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years;  entered  the 
ministry  in  1913,  and  was  ordained  in  1920  by  the  Nebraska 
Conference. 

268 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

Married  on  December  10,  1905,  to  Miss  Anna  A.  Schulke. 
Four  children :  Clarence  C,  Ethel  L.,  Roy  T.,  and  Milton  P. 

Held  pastorates  at  Mt.  Hope,  Colo.;  Lamont,  and  Best, 
Nebraska. 

Stauffer,  Samuel  S. — Born  in  Waterloo  County,  Ontario,  May  19, 
1857.  Parents  were  David  H.  and  Mariah  (Shelley)  Stauffer. 
Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-one.  Entered  the  ministry 
in  1889,  and  ordained  in  1892  by  the  Ontario  Conference. 

Married  on  January  23,  1881,  to  Lucy  Lackner.  Nine 
children:  David,  Leander,  Victor,  Pearl,  Stanley,  Hattie, 
William,  Clyde,  and  Melven. 

Held  pastorates  at  Greenwood,  Brown  City,  Lamotte, 
Mich.;  Breslau,  Bethel,  Ontario;  and  Didsbury,  Alta. 

Steckley,  John — Born  at  Bethesda,  Ontario,  February  12,  1826. 
Parents  were  Christian  and  Fannie  (Hoover)  Steckley.  Raised 
on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  about  the  age  of  thirty  years.  Entered  the 
ministry  about  1861  in  Ontario. 

Married  to  Sara  Burkholder  on  November  12, 1850.  Eight 
children:  Henry,  Susan,  Abram,  Mary,  Martha,  Sara,  Jose- 
phine, and  Anna. 

Held  pastorates  at  Stayner,  Vineland,  and  Kitchener, 
Ontario. 

Died  on  May  17,  1904. 

Storms,  Dorwin  Jonathan — Born  in  Jordon,  Lincoln  County, 
Ontario,  June  7,  1883.  Parents  were  Richard  and  Fanny 
Gertrude  (Johnson)  Storms.  Educated  in  the  common  schools 
and  later  attended  high  school;  also  took  a  commercial  course 
in  the  British-American  Business  College  of  Toronto,  and  com- 
pleted the  three-year  course  of  the  Toronto  Bible  Training 
School. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  entered  the  ministry  in 
1912. 

Married  to  Anna  Good  on  April  24,  1912.  Two  children: 
Everek  Richard  and  Paul  Leonard. 

Spent  two  years  as  a  missionary  in  Turkey,  until  com- 
pelled to  leave  the  country,  due  to  war  conditions.  Since  then 
served  as  pastor  at  Stayner,  Shelburne,  and  Hespeler,  in  the 
Ontario  Conference. 

*Swank,  Jabez — Born  at  Salem,  Montgomery  County,  Ohio,  in 
1845.    Parents  were  Eld.  John  and  Barbara  Swank.    Educated 

269 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

in  the  public  school,  and  later  spent  one  year  in  training  at 
Bonebrake  Theological  Seminary. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years;  entered  the  min- 
istry about  1870,  and  was  ordained  soon  after  by  the  Brethren 
in  Christ  Church. 

Held  pastorate  at  Englewood,  O. ,  and  assisted  on  other  fields. 

Taylor,  Albert— Born  at  Elida,  Allen  County,  Ohio,  September 
27,  1883.  Parents  were  Alexander  and  Malinda  Taylor. 
Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years;  entered  the  min- 
istry in  1905,  and  was  ordained  in  1915. 

Married  to  Mary  Mae  Gaberdiel  on  October  17,  1907. 
Two  children:    Adrian  Paul  and  Stanley  Maurice. 

Held  pastorates  at  Spencerville,  Ohio;  Goshen,  Nappanee, 
and  Oak  Grove,  Ind.;  and  Chapel  Hill,  Mich. 

Served  as  Conference  Steward  and  Vice-Presiding  Elder. 

Traub,  Alvin— Born  near  Elmwood,  Ontario,  November  18,  1883. 
Parents  were  David  and  Hannah  (Gehman)  Traub.  Early  life 
was  spent  on  the  farm;  attended  the  common  school,  and  later 
attended  the  Bible  School  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  for  two  years. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twelve  years;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1906  in  Ohio,  and  was  later  transferred  to  the  Canadian 
Northwest  Conference. 

Married  to  Mary  Good  on  December  16,  1908.  Seven 
children:  Ernest  Merland,  Harley  Alvin,  Ozro  Lavern,  Velma 
Millicent,  Ruby  Fern,  Mervin  Good  (deceased)  and  Phylis 
Marie  (deceased). 

Held  pastorates  at  Markham,  Castor,  Alberta;  and  Alsask, 
Saskatchewan. 

Served  as  Vice-Presiding  Elder,  and  Presiding  Elder  of  the 
Canadian  Northwest  Conference,  1919*. 

Truex,  Williard  Benjamin — Born  in  Elkhart  County,  Indiana, 

December  28,  1863.    Son  of  Truex  and  Mary  Elizabeth 

Truex.    Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  years;  entered  the 
ministry  in  1897,  and  was  ordained  in  1901. 

Married  to  Mary  Eleary  Beck  on  October  13,  1888.  Nine 
children:  Grace  (deceased),  Noble,  Goldie,  Francis,  Ruth, 
Esther,  Arthur,  Lawrence,  and  Jesse. 

Held  pastorate  at  Pleasant  Hill,  Mich.,  in  the  Indiana 
and  Ohio  Conference,  and  supplied  for  other  ministers. 

Died  June  29,  1907. 

270 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

Utter,  A.  Prior— Born  at  Thornton,  Ind.,  August  29, 1870.  Parents 
were  Thomas  L.  and  Martha  J.  Utter.  Raised  on  the  farm  and 
attended  the  common  school;  later  took  a  business  course. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-four  years;  entered  the 
ministry,  and  was  ordained  in  1903. 

Married  to  Addie  M.  Musick  on  April  30,  1901.  Three 
children :    Roscae  Vivian,  Ralph  Waldo,  and  James  Russel. 

Held  pastorates  at  Jett,  Okla.;  Shambaugh,  New  Market. 
Trenton,  Iowa;  Bloomington,  Neb.;  and  Oswego,  Kan. 

Served  as  Vice-Presiding  Elder  and  Evangelist. 

Waitman,  George  D.— Born  in  Montgomery  County,  Ohio,  Feb- 
ruary 2,  1829.  Parents  were  William  H.  and  Nancy  Waitman. 
Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  years;  entered  the 
ministry  in  1859,  and  was  ordained  in  1864  by  the  Brethren  in 
Christ  Church. 

Married  to  Elizabeth  Swank  on  January  11,  1852.  Seven 
children:  Augustus,  Alvin,  Newton,  Theodore,  Valeira,  Sarah, 
and  Rosella. 

Held  pastorates  at  Georgetown,  Beech,  Lightsville,  West 
Charleston,  New  Carlisle,  and  Englewood,  in  the  Indiana  and 
Ohio  Conference. 

Died  February  18,  1912. 

*Waitman,  Newton  S. — Born  in  Montgomery  County,  Ohio, 
August  17,  1858.  Parents  were  George  D.  and  Elizabeth  Wait- 
man.   Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years;  entered  the  min- 
istry in  1879,  and  was  ordained  in  1880  bv  the  Brethren  in 
Christ  Church. 

Married  to  Martha  J.  Shank  on  January  21,  1890. 

Held  pastorates  at  Pleasant  Grove,  Davton,  and  Fairview, 
Ohio. 

Walker,  Thomas  D.— Born  in  Menard  County,  111.,  November  4, 
1869.  Parents  were  W.  D.  and  Margaret  Walker.  Received  a 
common  school  education. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven  years;  entered  the 
ministry  in  1902,  and  was  ordained  in  1916. 

Married  to  Eva  L.  Miller  in  1901 .  Three  children :  Roy  T., 
Earl  E.,  and  Daniel  Wayne. 

Held  pastorates  at  Reamsville  and  Harper,  Kan.;  Seward 
County,  Neb.  Moved  to  Colorado  in  1910,  preaching  occa- 
sionally, and  to  Buhl,  Idaho,  in  1918,  transferring  to  the 
Pacific  Conference. 

271 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Warder,  Alfred  George — Born  in  Reach  Township,  Ontario 
County,  Ontario,  September  11,  1876.  Parents  were  Eli  and 
Emma  (Kivell)  Warder.  Raised  on  the  farm;  attended  com- 
mon school  and  one  year  at  high  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1909,  and  was  ordained  in  1912. 

Married  to  Mary  Maude  Detwiler  on  June  25,  1902.  Four 
children:  Clara  Maude  (deceased),  Theodore  Alfred  Eli,  Laura 
Evangeline,  and  Hannah  Elvera. 

Held  pastorates  at  Shrigley,  Vineland,  Collingwood,  and 
Kitchener,  in  the  Ontario  Conference. 

Statistical  Secretary  of  Ontario  Conference,  and  examiner 
on  Reading  Course. 

Weber,  Moses — Born  in  Woolwich  Township,  Waterloo  County, 
Ontario,  July  11,  1844.  Parents  were  John  C.  and  Mary 
Weber. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-six.  Entered  the  ministry 
in  1875  and  was  ordained  in  1878  by  the  United  Mennonites. 

Married  to  Catherine  Funk  on  September  15,  1868,  and 
after  her  death,  to  Christina  Sherk,  on  April  8,  1902. 

During  a  period  of  twenty  years  held  pastorates  at  Kitch- 
ener, Blenheim,  Maryboro,  Breslau,  Elmwood,  and  Toronto. 

Died  August  13,  1920. 

Weldy,  Levi — Born  in  Locke  Township,  Elkhart  County,  Ind., 
May  12,  1868.  Parents  were  Abraham  and  Anna  Weldy. 
Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-three;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1910,  and  ordained  in  1917. 

Married  to  Alice  Madlem  on  August  8,  1891.  Seven  chil- 
dren: Orin  J.,  Orville  Ray,  Aden  M.  (deceased),  Allen,  Nellie  V., 
Elsie  E.,  Edna  May. 

Held  pastorates  at  West  Union  and  Oak  Grove,  Ind.; 
Berlamont,  Mich. 

Whitcomb,  Larkin  D.— Born  in  Humboldt,  Neb.,  December  21, 
1861.  Parents  were  Olney  M.  and  Margaret  C.  Whitcomb. 
Received  a  common  school  education. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  thirty-one;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1895,  and  was  ordained  in  1905. 

Married  to  Grace  E.  Carmichael  in  August,  1887.  Three 
children:   Effie  E.,  Ida  Margaret,  Ada  Catherine. 

Held  pastorates  at  Harper,  Kan.,  and  Shambaugh,  Iowa. 

Served  as  Evangelist  for  three  years. 

Died  at  Orange,  Calif.,  September,  1913. 
272 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

Wilder,  Ernest  Wesley — Born  near  Bad  Axe,  Michigan,  March  3, 
1883.  Parents  were  Charles  and  Ida  (Pitman)  Wilder.  At 
four  years  of  age  his  parents  moved  to  Washington.  Received 
a  common  school  education. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty  years;  entered  the  ministry 
soon  after,  and  was  ordained  in  1908  by  the  Pacific  Conference. 

Married  to  Laura  Morgan  on  May  17,  1906.  Five  children: 
Philip,  Milton,  Arcie,  Beulah,  and  Argath. 

Held  pastorates  at  Culver  and  Madras,  Ore.;  Leber,  Pleas- 
ant Valley,  Birch  Bay,  Granger,  Outlook,  Yakima,  Wapata, 
and  Beutson,  Wash. ;  and  Filer,  Idaho. 

Also  served  as  Conference  Secretary,  and  Vice  Presiding 
Elder  in  the  Pacific  Conference. 

Wolf,  Norman  Henry — Born  in  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  October  26, 
1895.  Parents  were  Daniel  C.  and  Theresa  Elizabeth  Wolf. 
Attended  the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  nine  years;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1916,  and  was  ordained  in  1920  by  the  Pennsylvania  Confer- 
ence. 

Married  on  November  11,  1919,  to  Mrs.  Esther  D.  Kauff- 
man.    One  child :  Beatrice  Arlene. 

Held  pastorates  at  Lehighton  and  Weissport,  Pa. 

Wood,  James  Smith — Born  at  Embro,  Ontario,  April  5,  1883. 
Parents  were  Wesley  J.  and  Catherine  G.  (Mitchell)  Wood. 
Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school;  later 
took  up  branches  necessary  for  second  and  third-grade  teacher's 
certificate.    In  1903  attended  the  Bible  School  at  Elkhart,  Ind. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years;  entered  the  min- 
istry in  1901,  and  was  ordained  in  1906. 

Married  to  Ellen  S.  Sherk  on  November  15,  1904.  Five 
children:  Wesley  J.,  Gordon  A.,  Ira  L.,  Lenora  A.,  and 
Orpha  L. 

Held  pastorates  at  North  Fremont,  Clearwater,  Wetzell, 
Bliss,  Greenwood,  Brown  City,  and  Port  Huron  in  the  Michigan 
Conference. 

Examiner  on  Reading  Course  for  nine  years;  member  of 
Home  Mission,  City  Mission;  Conference  Steward,  Vice-Pre- 
siding Elder. 

Woodring,  A.  G.— Born  in  Carbon  County,  Pa.,  July  10,  1893. 
Parents  were  Eld.  R.  L.  and  Clara  (Ziegenfuss)  Woodring.  At- 
tended the  common  school. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  thirteen;  entered  the  ministry  in 

18  273 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

1917,  and  was  ordained  in  1920  by  the  Pennsylvania  Con- 
ference. 

Married  on  October  8,  1915,  to  Hilda  M.  Moyer. 

Held  pastorates  at  Northampton  and  Walnutport,  Pa. 

Woodring,  Richard  Lewis— Was  born  near  Schnecksville,  Pa., 
December  7,  1873.  Parents  were  Lewis  and  Violet ta  (Kem- 
merer)  Woodring. 

Was  educated  in  the  public  schools. 

Converted  in  December,  1893;  entered  the  ministry  in 
1898,  and  was  ordained  in  1900. 

Was  married  to  Clara  S.  Ziegenfuss,  on  December  10,  1892. 
Two  children :  Allen  George,  and  Dora  Naomi. 

Pastorates  held:  Bethlehem,  Mt.  Carmel,  Graterford  and 
Harleysville,  Quakertown  and  Hatfield,  South  Allentown, 
Easton,  Coopersburg  and  Springtown. 

Yates,  William  H.— Born  at  Southampton,  England,  April  21, 
1886.  Parents  were  William  and  Mary  Ann  (Pollard)  Yates. 
Received  a  public  school  education  in  England,  and  came  to 
Canada  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years.  Attended  business  college 
and  the  Toronto  Bible  College,  graduating  from  the  latter  in 
1912. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years;  entered  the  min- 
istry in  1908,  and  was  ordained  in  1912. 

Married  to  Menanda  Hunsberger,  and  after  her  death,  to 
Muriel  Wetzel,  on  March  22,  1916.  Two  children:  Pearl 
Arline  and  Verdon  Wilfred. 

Held  pastorates  at  Dornoch,  Bruce  Peninsula,  Maryboro, 
and  Manitoulin  Island,  in  the  Ontario  Conference. 

Yoder,  Abraham  B.— Born  in  Olive  Township,  Elkhart  County, 
Ind.,  December  24,  1867.  Parents  were  Henry  B.  and  Eliza- 
beth (Bixler)  Yoder.  Raised  on  the  farm,  and  attended  the 
common  school  and  high  school;  taught  school  for  sixteen 
years. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-three;  entered  the  ministry 
in  1896,  and  was  ordained  in  1899. 

Married  to  Mary  M.  Myers  on  August  31,  1889.  One 
child:    Ray  O. 

Held  pastorates  at  Shambaugh  and  New  Market,  Iowa; 
Elkhart  and  Bethel,  Wakarusa  and  South  West,  Ind.;  and 
Pleasant  Hill,  Mich.,  in  the  Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference. 

Served  as  Presiding  Elder  in  the  Indiana  and  Ohio  Con- 
ference for  twelve  years;  delegate  to  four  General  Conferences 
274 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

and  Secretary  of  three;  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of 
Bluffton  College,  Secretary-Treasurer  of  the  United  Orphanage 
and  Mission  Board,  and  member  of  the  Executive  Committee 
of  the  Church.    Chairman  of  General  Conference  in  1920. 

Yost,  George  Franklin — Born  in  York  County,  Pa.,  November 
23,  1876.     Parents  were  Jacob  R.  and  Sarah  A.  Yost. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven;  entered  the  min- 
istry in  1905,  and  was  ordained  in  1913. 

Married  to  Emma  Ray  on  October  31,  1913.  One  child: 
Clarence  George. 

Held  pastorates  at  Sunbury,  Shamokin,  Mt.  Carmel,  Naz- 
areth, Fleetwood,  Blandon,  and  Terre  Hill,  Pa. 

Young,  Ernest  Delbert— Born  in  New  Market,  Iowa,  August  14, 
1890.  Parents  were  T.  R.  and  Eva  C.  Young.  Received  a 
common  school  education  and  some  high  school  work,  and 
later  attended  Amity  College  at  College  Springs,  Iowa,  and 
Iowa  State  College  at  Ames,  Iowa. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-four;  entered  the  min- 
istry in  1916,  and  was  ordained  in  1920. 

Married  to  Delia  Edmonds  on  June  18,  1913.  Two  chil- 
dren: Lisle  V.,  and  Nellie  M. 

Held  pastorate  at  Harper,  Kansas. 


The  following,  though  not  ministers,  have  served  in  an  Editorial  capacity, 
because  of  which  they  are  included  here. 

Bingeman,  Joseph — Born  November  9,  1847. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  and  united  with 
the  Church  in  the  same  year. 

Taught  school  for  twelve  years. 

Was  Editor  of  the  Gospel  Banner  from  April  1,  1885,  to 
1886,  filling  the  unexpired  term  of  T.  H.  Brenneman. 

Engaged  in  the  book  business  in  Berlin,  Ontario,  and  later 
in  other  commercial  lines. 

Died  on  April  1,  1907. 

Bowman,   Benjamin   B. — Born  in   Waterloo  County,   Ontario, 
September  14,  1846.    Parents  were  Christian  M.  and  Susanna 
Bowman.    Raised  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school. 
Converted  at  the  age  of  twenty-two. 
Married  to  Mary  Ann  Beeshy  in  October,  1867,  and  after 
her  death,  to  Katherine  Stover.     Nine  children:      Martha, 
Albert,  Ira,  Lydia,  Lyman,  Dorinda,  Odie,  Normal,  and  Karl, 
the  last  three  being  by  the  second  marriage. 
275 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Served  as  Annual  Conference  Secretary  for  several  years; 
member  of  committee  appointed  to  arrange  for  a  church  organ 
which  was  named  the  Gospel  Banner  and  Evangehums  Panier; 
member  of  committee  to  compile  the  first  hymnal,  published 
in  English  and  German;  member  of  the  committee  to  frame  the 
first  discipline,  and  translator  of  the  discipline  from  German  into 
English.  Edited  the  "Evangehums  Panier"  for  sixteen  months, 
beginning  January,  1880. 

At  present  a  jeweler  in  Petoskey,  Mich. 

Brenneman,  Timothy  H.— Born  September  20,  1860.  Parents 
were  Daniel  and  Susannah  (Keagy)  Brenneman.  Received  a 
common  school  education.  Became  an  apprentice  in  the 
Times  office  at  Goshen,  Ind.,  and  was  later  employed  as  a 
printer  in  the  Gospel  Banner  office. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  and  joined  the  church 
the  same  year. 

Married  to  Laura  E.  Dalrymple  on  September  23,  1883. 

Resided  for  two  years  (1888-1889)  in  Kitchener,  Ont.,  as 
a  printer  in  the  Gospel  Banner  office.  Editor  of  the  Gospel 
Banner  from  1882  to  1885. 

Served  for  five  years  (1912-1917)  as  secretary  and  treas- 
urer of  the  Indiana  Christian  Association,  a  society  opposed 
to  secret  societies. 

Deacon  of  the  Goshen,  Ind.,  class  since  1895. 

Mail  clerk  in  the  Railway  Mail  service  between  Cleveland 
and  Chicago  since  1893. 

Nysewander,  C. — Born  in  Clark  County,  Ohio,  September  12, 
1855.  Attended  the  common  school,  high  school,  and  later 
took  private  lessons  in  Greek  and  Latin.  Attended  the  medical 
department  of  the  University  of  Maryland  for  two  years,  and 
graduated  from  the  Starling  Medical  College  of  Columbus, 
Ohio,  now  the  Medical  Dept.  of  the  Ohio  State  University. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  and  united  with 
the  Brethren  in  Christ  Church. 

Married  to  Sarah  Good  in  1878.  Two  daughters:  Bertha, 
and  Nancy  Ethel. 

Served  as  compiler  of  the  Brethren  in  Christ  Hymn  Book, 
and  the  Faith  and  Rules  of  that  church.  Secretary  of  the 
General  Conference  of  the  Brethren  in  Christ  before  the  unions 
leading  to  the  M.  B.  C.  Editor  of  the  "Church  and  Home" 
periodical,  which  later  merged  with  the  "Gospel  Banner." 
Special  contributor  to  the  Gospel  Banner,  1913-. 

276 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

Statistical  Summary. 

(1920) 

Presiding  Elders  11 

City  Mission  Presidents  and  Missionary   Presiding 

Elders  2 

Ordained  Ministers 122 

Approved  Ministering  Sisters   43 

Probationers   53 

Applicants  for  Annual  Conference  License 35 

Quarterly  Conference  Licensed  Preachers  and  Evan- 
gelists   75 

Deacons   95 

Class  Leaders "  178 

Stewards   205 

Building  Fund,  Parsonage  and  Rent  Collectors....  56 
Total  Membership — 

Pennsylvania  Conference 2,099 

Ontario  Conference  1,978 

Indiana  and  Ohio  Conference 1,746 

Michigan  Conference 1,139 

Nebraska  Conference 754 

Pacific  Conference  440 

Canadian  Northwest  Conference 347 

8,503 

Appointments  200 

Sunday  Schools  158 

Sunday   School   Officers  and  Teachers    1,671 

Sunday  School  Scholars  Enrolled  11,108 

Total  Enrollment    12,779 

Total   Average  Attendance    8,029 

Home  Department  Members 2,733 

Onion  Sunday  Schools   34 

Subscribers  to  The  Gospel  Banner 3,030 

Parsonages    80 

Janitors'  Homos    3 

Valuation  of  Church  Property  $651,338  50 

277 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

OFFERINGS    (1916-1920). 

Home   Missions    $49,613  91 

Foreign  Missions   124,073  96 

For   the   Poor    6,498  97 

Church  Properties  88,521  51 

Repairing  Church   Properties    25,398  65 

Parsonage,  Hall  Rent  and  Building  Fund 44,997  19 

Sexton  and  Sundry  Expenses    85,490  28 

Sunday  Schools   58,563  01 

Presiding  Elders 55,107  46 

Mission  Presiding  Elders  and  City  Mission  Presi- 
dents      6,962  61 

Ministers  in  Cash   239,865  96 

Ministers  in  Other  Contributions    43,0S0  78 

Beneficiary  or  Superannuation   10,414  28 

Assistants  5,063  13 

Gospel  Worker  or  City  Missions 24,823  11 

Tabernacle,  Missionary  or  Evangelistic  Work....  40,161  67 

Camp  Meetings    44,524  98 

Sunday  School  and  other  Conventions 3,131  14 

Annual  Conference  Fund   5,545  69 

Annual  Conference  Delegate  Fund  4,190  71 

General  Conference  Fund  1,013  47 

Benevolent  Society  and  Rescue  Work  6,638  86 

Church  Extension  Fund 2,855  67 

Subscriptions  and  Literature  Sold  103,984  54 

General  Conference  Forward  Movement  4,816  54 

Bluffton  College  7,580  00 

India  Famine  Sufferers   803  47 

Red  Cross,  Armenian  and  Syrian  Relief  and  Me- 
morial Fund   7,758  92 

Anti  Saloon  League 595  60 

Budget 5,372  43 

War  Relief    2,134  42 

Miscellaneous  and  Lord's  Day  Alliauce 1,811  85 

Presiding  Elders'  Rent 752  16 

Moving  Expenses  273  10 

Other  Purposes    7,451  52 

Total .$1,119,871  55 

278 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Appendices. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

References. 

Cassel,  Daniel  K. — Geschichte  der  Mennoniten.    Phila.,  1890. 

Eby,  Benjamin. — Kurtzgefaszte  Kirchen-Geschichte  unci  Glaubens- 
lehre.    Elkhart,  1907. 

Eshleman,  H.  Frank. — Historic  Background  and  Annals  of  the  Swiss 
and  German  Pioneer  Settlers  of  Southeastern  Pennsylvania. 
Lancaster,  1917. 

Funk,  John  F. — Mennonite  Church  and  Her  Accusers.  Elkhart, 
1878. 

Hartzler  and  Kauffman. — Mennonite  Church  History.  Scottdale, 
1905. 

Krehbiel,  H.  P. — History  of  the  General  Conference.     1898. 

Langenwalter,  J.  H. — Christ's  Headship  of  the  Church.    1917. 

Langenwalter,  J.  H. — Immigration  of  Mennonites  Into  North  Amer- 
ica.    (Manuscript.) 

Lindsay,  Thomas  M. — History  of  the  Reformation. 

McGlothlin. — Anabaptists.  In  Hastings'  Cyclopedia  of  Religion 
and  Ethics. 

Newman,  A.  H. — Antipedobaptists.    Scribner's,  1914. 

Newman,  A.  H. — Manual  of  Church  History.     1914. 

Simons,  Menno. — Complete  Works.     Elkhart,  1871. 

Smith,  C.  H. — Mennonites  of  America.     Goshen,  1909. 

Vedder,  Henry  C. — Balthaser  Hiibmaier.    Putnam,  1905. 

Verhandlung  der  Allgemeinen  Konferenz  der  Mennoniten  von 
Nord-Amerika . 

Sources. 

Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ,  Pennsyl- 
vania Conference.    Thirty-third  Annual  Report,  1917. 
279 


MENNONITE  BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

Brenneman,  D. — A  manuscript  covering  the  formation  of  the 
Reformed    Mennonites. 

Doctrine  of  Faith  and  Church  Discipline  of  the  Evangelical 
Mennonite  Society  of  Eastern  Pennsylvania.  Skippack- 
ville,  1867. 

Doctrines  and  Discipline  of  the  Evangelical  United  Men- 
nonites.    Goshen,  1880.  y 

Doctrines  and  Discipline  of  the  Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ. 
The  editions  of  1888,  1897,  1910  and  1916  were  used. 

Edmonton  Bible  Institute. — Yearbook,  1917-8.    Edmonton,  Alta. 

Gospel  Banner. — Complete  files  can  be  found  as  follows:  1878-83, 
T.  H.  Brenneman,  Goshen,  Ind.;  1880-4,  O.  R.  Pannabecker, 
Toronto,  Ont.;  1885-1908,  H.  S.  Hallman,  Kitchener,  Ont.; 
1909  to  date,  Bluffton  College  Library. 

M.  B.  in  C.  Seminary  and  Bible  Training  School. — Catalog  for 
1903-4.     Elkhart,  Ind. 
Minutes  of  the  General  Conferences  and  special  Union  Con- 
ferences from  1875  to  1920. 

Moyer,  Isaac. — A  manuscript  treating  the  formation  of  the  New 
and  Reformed  Mennonites. 

Oberholtzer,  J.  H. — Aufschluse  der  Verfolgungen  gegen  Daniel  Hoch 
von  Canada.     1854. 

Oberholtzer,  J.  H. — Verwortung  und  Erlaeuterung,  1860. 

(Copies  of  the  two  above  pamphlets  by  Oberholtzer  may 
be  found  in  the  libraries  of  N.  B.  Grubb,  Philadelphia,  and  J.  F. 
Funk,  Elkhart.) 

Origin,  Constitution  and  Articles  of  Faith  of  the  Brethren 
in  Christ.     Pittsburgh,  1866. 

Raymer,  Mrs.  Levi. — A  manuscript  treating  of  the  formation  of 
the  New  Mennonites. 

Letters  from  the  following: 

J.  B.  Detweiler,  Kitchener,  Ont.      M.  J.  Carmichael,  McMinnville, 

C.  I.  Scott,  Milford,  Neb.  Ore. 

S.  Goudie,  Stouffville,  Ont.  A.  W.  Barbezat,  Filer,  Idaho. 

Wm.  Lambert,  Jett,  Okla.  Mrs.    William    Simmons,    Sand 

D.  C.  Eby,  Didsbury,  Alta.  Lake,  Mich. 

I.  P.  Moore,  Elkhart,  Ind.  J.  J.  Hostetler,  Dayton,  Ohio. 

C.  H.  Brunner,  Allentown,  Pa.         Jacob  Hygema,  Milford,  Neb. 
J.  F.  Funk,  Elkhart,  Ind.  T.  H.  Brenneman,  Goshen,  Ind. 

280 


APPENDICES. 


Maud     Cretors,     Bloomington, 

Neb. 
H.  S.  Hallman,  Kitchener,  Ont. 
E.  Moyer,  Vineland,  Ont. 
A.  B.  Yoder,  Elkhart,  Ind. 
Solomon  Eby,  Kitchener,  Ont. 
Mrs.  James  Hall,  Alsask,  Sask. 


Dr.  C.  Nysewander,  Des  Moines, 
Iowa. 

B.  A.  Sherk,  Elkton,  Mich. 

C.  N.  Good,  Kitchener,  Ont. 
W.   B.   Musselman,   Cleveland, 

Ohio. 


Others  who  submitted  biographical  sketches. 


Private  interviews  with  the  following: 


Peter  Geiger,  Breslau,  Ont. 

M.  Weber  and  wife,  Markham, 

Ont, 
J.  B.  Detweiler,  Kitchener,  Ont. 
Wm.   Gehman,   Upper  Milford, 

Lehigh  County,  Pa. 
S.  Lambert,  New  Carlisle,  Ohio. 
W.    B.    Musselman,    Cleveland, 

Ohio. 
S.   Longanecker,    New  Carlisle, 

Ohio. 


S.  Herr,  Harrisburg,  Ohio. 
Peter  Cober,  Moorefield,  Ont. 
Mrs.    H.    E.    Freeze,    Dayton, 

Ohio. 
Solomon  Eby,  Kitchener,  Ont. 
John  Troxel,  Centerville,  Ont. 
D.  Brenneman,  Goshen,  Ind. 
A.  Good,  New  Carlisle,  Ohio. 
C.  H.  Brunner,  Allentown,  Pa. 

A.  D.  Hoke,  New  Carlisle,  Ohio. 

B.  Kreutziger,  Bad  Axe,  Mich. 


281 


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Date  Due 

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BX8129.M4H8 

History  of  the  Mennonite  Brethren  in 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  00164  2687 


